Darkest Before Dawn
by n3v3rm0re
Summary: Girl Loves Boy. Boy Loves Girl. Boy is a Vampire. Girl is a Human. Boy wants to drink every last drop of blood from Girl. Girl could care less. It's the same ol' story. Twilight in Edwards POV. Chapter 11 up.
1. First Sight

_Hayley here, This is my first story and yeah, it was probably pretty supid to choose such a large project but i had some good ideas. Hopefully, i won't mangle things too much. It's_ p_robably OOC and i'm sorry about that. I don't mind flames but some constructive c__riticism __would be nicer. This chapter is short because i'm going with the same chapters and general story line as the actual book, Twilight. _

_I'm starting where Stephanie Meyer left off. If you want to read the first Chapter of Midnight Sun then go to her website. It's Great! It's pretty much what gave me the idea._

_Which remides me, **I don't own Twilight or any of the Characters (i can only wish) and everything is from the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer who is basically my hero.**_ _Now, on with the story!_

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**First Sight**

I drove. Driving was good. It helped clear my mind. It was the one place I could escape the thoughts of the humans around me. I reached over and turned the station on the radio and grimaced when a ridiculously loud beat came on the radio.

'Rap' I thought, annoyed. 'One of the down sides of living in the 21st century.' I put the stereo to my CD's and sigh as Frank Sinatra's calming voice washed over me. After a couple minutes I sigh and turned the music off altogether. Everything reminded me of her. I felt the repulsion in my head the moment I thought of her. Isabella Swan. How could one insignificant human take away almost eighty years of careful practice? My brow furrowed at even the thought of it.

Finally I came to the fork in the road. The right would lead me to the house of Chief Swan and to Bella. I could feel my mouth water and venom flow freely even as I thought of her and her enticing scent. The left would take me to the hospital. To say goodbye to the only man I ever knew as my father. The man who, for almost eighty years, kept me on the straight and narrow path. The man who helped me suppress the monster that was threatening to come alive inside me now.

My hands itched to turn right, to give into my darker side. I could only imagine how wonderful the sweet life-giving crimson liquid would feel going down my throat. It made my mouth burn in desire.

'No' said my good side that was fading away with every minute that went by. 'Left' it told me. I clenched my teeth audibly and pressed my foot down on the pedal. The car spun left with a screech as I fought my inner demons telling my to turn around.

I took a deep ragged breath, knowing that the air I was drawing into my lifeless lungs was useless to me. I had to concentrate on something else. What had I learning in school? I nearing scoffed the moment I thought that. I had already memorized everything an average seventeen year-old boy would struggle with. I had already been to Harvard and Yale and gotten various degrees. High school was merely a ruse so my family wouldn't draw attention.

It annoyed Rosalie to have to pretend that her and Emmett were only dating instead of being happily, well almost, married for the past fifty years. Alice had considerably more fun admiring and keeping track of different styles as the years went by. I felt a pang of guilt rush over my cold frozen heart as I thought of what I would have done to my makeshift family if I had let the monster have free reign in Biology. We would have had to go into hiding for several years or more and Rosalie and Jasper probably wouldn't have talked to me for all that time. Carlisle would have been extremely disappointed and Esme…

I couldn't even think about how Esme would react. The guilt spread until it was threatening to overcome me. I shook my head trying to get rid of the sensation. If only Jasper was here.

I finally arrived at the hospital. I readied myself to face Carlisle. I wondered how he would react to the news that I was leaving. As I stepped out of the car I took a deep breath, calming myself. I walked slowly into the lobby. I was hit with a flood of 'voices' coming from everyone in the waiting room.

_What was that girl thinking, jumping out of a tree like that. Broken leg…._

_I hope that grandma gets better… _

_There's no more hope…_

I tried to ignore wave after wave of thoughts until it was just a buzz in the background. I grimaced at some of the ideas. I saddened me to think that these people might just be waiting around for a doctor to come and announce the time of death. I felt another pang of guilt for I couldn't die.

I walked up to information where a relitivly young nurse sat, talking on the phone. I surge of scent hit me. I wrinkled my nose at the perfume the nurse was wearing. I never understood humans needs to cover up their natural scent with something so foul. Nevertheless I put on a smile and walked up to her.

_Wow_

My smile widened. I could have that effect of humans. I struggled to suppress the monster and put on my best silky voice.

"Hello, I was wondering if my Father, Dr Cullen, was free. Could you tell him that it is of the utmost importance?" I asked.

"Umm, sure," She stuttered. _Wow, I should have known Dr Cullen would have children as good looking as him._

"Thank you," I flashed her one more smile and I heard her heart beat quicken.

I sat down in one of the waiting room chairs and leaned back. I closed my eyes and relaxed filling my mind with thoughts of Debussy as wave after wave of the music washed over me in my mind.

Finally, I heard my adopted father's mind enter the room.

_What's the matter? Is someone hurt? Oh please tell me that Emmett didn't throw something through the window again. Or is it worse_

I opened my eyes and stood up slowly. The grave look on my face alerted some suspicion in Carlisle mind. He walked over to me quickly and put both hands on my shoulders.

"What happened Edward?" He asked sternly. I looked away. I wouldn't be able to admit what I was about to confess if I looked him in the eye.

"I need to go away, somewhere," I paused and took a breath, "far away."

"Why. What happened?" He asked. _I won't ask you again_, was all his mind told me. I took another deep breath. I still hadn't glanced at his face.

"I almost lost control today." I admitted. "There was a girl and…I can't describe it…the smell…I almost went insane and killed everyone in class. I would have killed twenty people just to taste…" I was talking too quietly for anyone else to hear but I knew Carlisle could. I allowed myself to glance at his face. It was a mask of shock and misery. I knew I had let him down. I looked away again.

"But you didn't…" Carlisle was talking equally as low but in a panicked and rushed voice. _Please tell me…_ his mind pleaded with me.

"It took all I had not to lure her away." I sigh. A new wave of emotions came over me in that second. "I have to go, I can't let this ruin what you've given to me and the others. I need your car. I won't be able to resist if I have to stop for gas." We wordlessly exchanged keys, his eyes never leaving my face and my eyes refusing to meet his. He placed his hands back on my shoulders.

"I trust you son, if this is the best decision, then there isn't anything I can do." I glanced once more into his face, my eyes pleading for him to understand, to comprehend how terrible I felt. I opened my mouth to say something and decided against it.

I pried Carlisle's hands off my shoulders and turned away. "I don't know if I'll be back, if I can come back," was all I could say.

_Just be careful. I'll explain to everyone else._

I closed my eyes and let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I would go to Alaska and live with Tanya's family for a while. For as long as I could, I corrected myself. There wasn't any other option.

I ran as fast as I could without rising suspicion, to Carlisle's black Mercedes. I got in and breathed in the familiar scent hoping it would calm my nerves. Unfortunately, it didn't. I put the car in drive and sped off to the highway. Just as the sky was beginning to darken into the inevitable night, I was out of Forks and on my way to the farthest place I could get from the Hell that seemed to be waiting for me if I ever returned. I smiled. Hell seemed to be a fitting analogy but usually the devil goes to Hell, instead of running away from it.

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_There ya go. Probably not the greatest thing, but it's the best i got for now. Rate and Review!_

_Hayley_

_Oh and PS: the whole jumping out of a tree and broken leg, yeah, actually did that, it's why i'm home with a broken foot and not a school. just thought it would be fun to incorperate. )_


	2. Open Book

_This is increadibly long. Sorry about that, as i said, i'm trying to follow the book but i have a feeling that that won't last much longer. Updates will probably be slower because CHRISTMAS, the best holiday ever. Once again, probably OOC and i appreciate constructive critasism instead of flames. R&R_

**_The characters and plot and dialouge belong to Stephanie Meyer not me. Which is unfortunate because this is the best book possibly ever written._**

_I would suggest listening to Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie or Jack Johnson (mainly jack johnson) for this because they are so mellow it's awesome_

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**Open Book  
**

I drove all night, never stopping except at the Canadian boarder. I quickly showed my passport to the woman, itching to just drive though the barrier. I blocked out the crude thoughts of me coming from her mind. Sometimes I thought the charm I held over people, women in particular was a burden especially combined with my other abilities. I shook that thought out of my head. My existence was a burden on humanity. My kind was an unnatural species that could have only come from the deepest pits of hell. We lived on the life giving liquid that humans needed to survive. Unfortunately, we needed that scarlet juice every bit as much as they did. Carlisle had come up with an alternate way of living, if that's what you could call it, and for that I was grateful. I didn't want to be the hideous beast that I had become so many years ago. When the lady finally released me into Canada I drove away, fully knowing that I was about the break the speed limit. I didn't care. I just needed to get to the fresh mountains in Alaska. Then maybe I could think clearly.

I drove well into the day, finally reaching my destination at dusk and breaking several speed limits along the way. I parked the car in the driveway of Tanya's house and stared at the large wooden house. It looked more like an oversized log cabin than a place that housed five vampires.

I sigh, frustrated with myself and not knowing why. I took the key out of the ignition and opened the door. It was good thing that I would resist the cold because I forgot my jacket in my car. The bitter wind whipped my face but I barely felt it. I slammed the door, knowing that it would probably alert Tanya, and grudgingly walked up the house. My light footsteps made little indentations on the newly fallen snow. I took a deep breath of the cold mountain air and little by little, I felt my worries slip away.

"Edward!" Tanya yelled. She squealed and rushed down to meet me with a hug. I wasn't in the mood but I hugged her back quickly and then pulled away. She quickly brushed back her straight strawberry blonde hair and gave me a brilliant smile. "So, are you finally going to take me up on my offer?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"No," I said forcefully. Even though Tanya was several years older than me, she still acted like a hormone struck teenage girl. She had made it clear to me on my last visit that she wanted to make our relationship to be more than friends. I politely told her no but she seemed to think that there was still a chance. I had never met anyone who could stir those feelings for me. "I just need to stay here a while," I explained.

Emotions flitted across her face, anger, hurt, she finally settled on confusion. "Why is that?" She asked gently.

I sigh. I really didn't want to go into the whole story right now, especially with Tanya. I thought of ways to explain to her but they all involved more questions. "It's a long story," I said quietly. "If you don't mind, could I go get something to eat? It's been a very long journey." She nodded, unsure of what to say. I smiled in gratitude and ran off into the forest, glad that I could finally run as fast as I wanted.

I quickly picked up the scent of a grizzly bear and changed directions. I needed something as big and fierce as a grizzly right now. Something to take my anger out on. What I was angry about was beyond me. I could be that Isabella Swan had just chased me away from my family or even the pent up frustration that I couldn't hear her thoughts. It annoyed me greatly that I couldn't hear what she was thinking, to have to rely on facial expression alone was something that I hadn't done in over eighty years.

I slowed down as I reached the end of the trail and got closer to the grizzly bear. I could see it through the dense undergrowth of premature fir trees and barren deciduous trees. I crept up closer crouching down into an attacking stance. Just as the grizzly turned around, sensing something or someone was there; I leapt up from my hiding place. The grizzly reared, going up on his hind paws until it was over four feet taller than me. I snarled in response.

Suddenly, the grizzly swiped at me with its giant claw, I sidestepped in the blink of an eye and attacked, the bear didn't stand a chance. I felt my razor sharp teeth slide into its neck and the warmth of the fresh sustaining liquid coating my mouth and dripping down my throat. The bear made one last attempt to dislodge me from it's jugular but finally, it fell in defeat and gave one last groan of protest.

Once I finished, my thirst had still not been quenched. I gave one last look at the corpse of the bear and fled in the opposite direction. I wandered until I caught the scent of a heard of deer. Not my favorite and no fun but I was thirsty and in need of another drink. I bounded after them, not stopping to get into position like I had before. I leapt out of the bush and attacked the nearest buck. The rest of the deer ran away in fear, leaving in poor buck in my grasp.

I disposed of the deer like I had the bear and started to make my way back to the house, my thirst quenched…for now. Instead of running, I took it slow. Walked for a while and basked in the refreshing mountainous landscape. My thoughts once again went back to Bella Swan and the delicious scent that my body craved. My brow furrowed. 'How could one girl ruin my happiness? Run me away from those who I love, my brothers and sisters, Carlisle and Esme…' my dead heart lurched when I thought of Esme. How this must be killing her. She really thought of me as her own son. 'How weak am I?' was the question that kept repeating itself in my mind, over and over.

I started to run as fast and as hard as I could back to the house. Tanya was there to greet me, she must have heard me coming. I inwardly winced. 'Here come the questions.'

"So, why are you here Edward?" She asked casually. She was perched on a wicker chair on the porch, her eyes stared me down. I walked slowly out of the woods and into the moonlight. I could see she wasn't going to settle for a vague answer.

"I had to get away before I revealed my family," I admitted. Her eyes widened, wanting more information. "There was a girl with a very strong scent," I said casually, giving her as little information as possible. She seemed to accept that as she nodded in response.

"You can have the guest room for as long as you need it." She said.

"Thank you," I replied, truly grateful. "But I'm hoping to go back soon." I had made up my mind in the forest. I was going back and I was going to overcome this minor obstacle.

"Do you need me to show you where it is…?" She trailed off.

"No, thank you. I think I just need to be alone." She nodded and I made my way into the house.

I didn't stop to observe the house like I normally do. I just made my way to the mahogany stairs and walked to the guest room. There was no bed, of course but there was a nice burgundy couch facing a rather large window on the north side. The shelves were stacked with books but I ignored them and sat down on the couch. I closed my eyes and tried to think of a plan

I don't know how much time had passed but by the time I opened my eyes, the sun was just starting to peak over the trees. I had come up with a solution that might work but it was the only thing I could think of that would reunite me with my family.

I would stay here for the rest of the day, calm my nerves and at twilight I would start to drive back to Forks. It would be Sunday by the time I got back and it would give me more time to calm down. Her smell was probably just appealing because I was thirsty and I was probably overreacting. I took a deep breath in. After being so consumed by my thoughts for hours, I needed a break from my mind.

I got up off the couch and made my way down the stairs. Tanya was the only one in the house from what I could tell and she was sitting on the couch, deep in thought.

What is wrong with me? Why doesn't he like me? I hope he's okay. He's been up there for a long time. I should go check on him…

"Tanya, I'm fine. I just needed some time to think." I said, answering her thoughts. She sigh in relief and twisted herself on the couch to face me.

"And what are you going to do?" She asked.

"I was hopping to intrude on your hospitality for just the rest of the day. I need to get back to my family." I explained, hoping she wouldn't be hurt by my short stay.

"What about that girl?" She sniffed in disgust at the word girl. She was obviously jealous. It was my turn to sigh.

"I was probably just overreacting," I explained patiently. "I was very thirsty." She nodded in understanding. I looked around at the empty house and finally registered that everyone else was gone. I went over and sat on the chair opposite to Tanya. "Where is everyone?" I asked casually. I didn't really want to be in a house alone with someone who was lusting after me.

"They're hunting polar bears in Manitoba. We've been having a decline in grizzly bears this season. I decided I was okay with deer for a while, it's a good thing I did." She smiled. I inwardly winced at the thought of the grizzly I killed yesterday.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Tanya and I just sat and watched television. My thoughts were far away from the trivial meandering on a daytime soap opera. My thoughts were about Bella Swan. The way her delicate skin blushed when I looked at her for the first time….

The sun finally set behind the thick clouds that had formed around noon. As I got up, Tanya stood as well.

"Thank you for having me," I said somewhat lamely.

"Anytime," she flashed a grin, the white of her teeth seeming to give her skin a bit of colour. "I hope you stop by again, it was nice having you here." _You can come by anytime that everyone isn't here, I can think of some fun things to do…_ I pushed the thoughts of her mentally undressing me out of my mind and put on a false smile.

I walked to the door and waved. "I'll see you later." I walked out the door and towards my car, as fast as I could go. By the time I put the key in the ignition, Tanya was at the door, waving me goodbye. I nodded my head in acknowledgment and turned the car around. Within seconds, the trees were flying by and I was on my way home.

There was nothing to distract me from the thoughts in my head. Carlisle didn't have music in his car and the radio mostly played the annoying beats of rap that I hated so much. I watched the speedometer go past 140 and I pushed the gas a little more. There were no police in the area and I had a craving to go fast. And it would get me home sooner.

* * *

I arrived at home late the next day. I slammed the car door once again to alert everyone of my presence. In seconds, Alice came flying out the door and took me in a sisterly embrace. I hugged her back with all my might. 

"I missed you," she admitted. I let a laugh escape my lips.

"And I you," I replied. She smiled and dragged me inside. Esme also greeted me with a hug. "I'm sorry mom." I mumbled. "I didn't know what else to do." She pulled back and a smile danced around her mouth.

"You did the right thing." She smiled. _I'm just glad to have you home._

"I'm glad to be home." She let me go and I walked into the living room to see Emmett and Rosalie cuddled up on the couch. Alice still clung to my side.

"Hey Edward." Emmett said without looking up from the video game he was playing. Rosalie ignored me. She seemed to be falsely focused on the screen.

_I can't believe you ran away from a silly little girl. _

I looked down, ashamed of myself. "I was thirsty and she had a somewhat appetizing scent." I said, trying to convince myself every bit as much as I was trying to convince her. "It won't happen again. I'll just need to feed more often." She nodded.

"I'm glad your home," she admitted stiffly. I smiled, content that she wasn't very angry with me.

"Where's Jasper and Carlisle?" I asked Alice.

"Carlisle is a work, but I told him you'd be home tonight. Jasper is out hunting. I told him he needs to feed more often to avoid what could happen in my visions." Alice worried. "He was angry at first, but I reminded him about what he was thinking at lunch and he gave in. He's still a little upset with me."

"He'll forgive you. You're just looking out for him." Alice looked up, hopeful. I smiled reassuringly.

* * *

The next day was school. Alice assured me that everything was going to be fine in biology. I trusted her with my life but I went hunting the night before just incase. I could never be too careful. We all got into the Volvo ten minutes before school was going to start. Emmett took his customary seat in the front and the rest of them piled in the back. Jasper was holding Alice's hand, a sure sign that they had made up and Rosalie was looking like a goddess as always. I put the car into drive and sped off to school. 

Just as we were arriving, the rain started to turn into snow. Emmett's face split into a huge grin.

_Me and you against Jasper…Common Edward, today at lunch?_

I couldn't help but smile and I gave a small nod. Everyone always wanted to be on my team for snowball fights. I was the fastest. I looked at Jasper in the rearview mirror and felt a little bit sorry for him. The snow started falling faster and soon everything was dusted with a fine layer of the fluffy white snow.

I parked in our usual spot and got out at the same time as the others. Alice skipped off the class, dragging Jasper along with her; Emmett took Rosalie's hand and began to walk her to her locker. Suddenly, I was alone. I kicked a small pile of snow and walked to my locker then to my first period class.

Math was especially tedious today, my teacher was droning on and on about Calculus while I pretended to take notes.

"Mr. Cullen?" I looked up to find my teacher's face in mine. I leaned back from the smell of the blood pumping in his outstretched neck. "Nice of you to join us." _Brilliant boy, if only he applied himself a little more, he could be a prodigy._

"Sorry Mr. Ross." I suppressed an eye roll. "It won't happen again." He gave a funny look when I said that. As he walked away, the bell rang and I quickly got up and packed up my things and left before he could call me back. I ignored the buzz of thoughts around me and walked to my next class.

_Remember, Lunch_. I heard Emmett mentally tell me. I looked up to see him passing. He gave me a little wink and I smiled, suddenly excited for lunch. Maybe this would help take my mind off things.

The next class was just as boring as the first but this time I managed to look like I was paying attention while I was really going through minds of people around me. It was dull but anything was better than school. When the bell finally rang, I jumped up and got out of class as fast as possible like I had in math.

I dropped my books off at my locker and ran outside to find about a two feet of snow on the ground and Emmett and Jasper holding snowballs. In the blink of an eye, both snowballs had hit their mark, one in my stomach and the other on my shoulder. The force of them both was enough to make me fall down. Jasper was grinning and Emmett was in a full fit of laughter. I quickly formed a snowball in my bare hand. Even the snow felt a little bit warm in the icy hand. I threw the snowball, aiming for Emmett's contorted face. Once the snow hit, the laughter stopped. I could see him trying to make another one in a hurry but I had hit him with another one before he could finish. It was my turn to laugh.

Before long, we had to go inside to 'eat lunch'. Emmett, Jasper and I made our way over to out usual table where Rosalie and Alice were waiting. Jasper sat next to Alice, taking her hand in his. Emmett tried to go give his wife a hug but Rosalie insisted that she didn't want to get her clothes all wet. He shrugged it off and sat down beside her. I took my place at the end of the table, between the two couples. Emmett gave me a sly look.

_Watch out_

I leaned back just as he started to shake out his hair like a shaggy dog. Alice, Jasper, Emmett and I started to laugh but Rosalie pursed her lips, trying to suppress a smile. Emmett kissed her cheek and she grinned, although obviously annoyed that her shirt was wet. I looked around the cafeteria, making sure we weren't drawing too much attention to ourselves, when I saw her. She was looking at us with a peculiar look on her face. She quickly looked away and the delicate pink rose from her neck covering her cheeks. I was still perplexed over why I couldn't read her mind. I continued to look upon her, as if it would help.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," I heard. That would be Jessica. I should have averted my eyes, but I wanted to figure this mystery out. _Why is he staring at her, I look much better today then she does._

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" I once again tried to probe her mind for the reason behind her question only to come up empty handed.

"No. Should he be?" Jessica again. W_hy does she care, as if she has a chance._ I tried to ignore her jealous, spiteful thoughts.

"I don't think he likes me." I felt guilty, it wasn't that I didn't like her, I'm sure she was a very nice person I just wanted her blood more than I wanted to get to know her.

"The Cullens don't like anybody…" is that what people thought of us? I listened more intently. "Well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you." _Stupid dumb boy_. I finally averted my eyes and mulled over their conversation in my head.

"Edward?" I looked up. The cafeteria was nearly empty. Alice was standing in front of me. "It's almost time for class." Time passed by very fast when I was caught up in my own thoughts.

"Thanks Alice." I smiled. She did so in return and walked away to class. As I was walking to biology, I made a silent vow in my head that I was going to be nice to Bella Swan today. I didn't want her to think that I hated her.

I walked into class, a slight buzzing filled my mind as the thoughts of everyone in the class bombarded my head. Well, everyone but one. My eyes glanced over the room, finally stopping on my lab table and the girl sitting next to my spot. I walked over a pulled out the chair. Her scent hit me as hard as the first day but I wasn't thirsty at all and I sat down as far away from her as the table allowed.

"Hello." I said quietly. I put a small smile on my lips, not wanting to look too scary. "My name is Edward Cullen. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan." I saw confusion flash through her eyes. What I wouldn't give to know what she was thinking.

"How do you know my name?" she stuttered. I laughed at how scared she sounded and the irony of the question. How could I not know her name after every boy in the school was thinking about her on the first day.

"Oh I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive" She winced.

"No, I meant, why did you call me Bella?" She asked. Confusion spread through me. Hadn't she asked everyone on the first day to call her Bella instead of Isabella?

"Do you prefer Isabella?" I knew she didn't but I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"No, I like Bella," I was even more confused now. "But I think Charlie – I mean my dad – must call me Isabella behind me back – that's what everyone here seems to know me as." She explained.

"Oh" I was still confused. It was a new feeling for me, to be confounded for so long. Thankfully, Mr. Banner started to explain the lab we were to do today. Identify the stages of mitosis in an onion root. I allowed a small smile. At least it was easy.

"Get started," he ordered.

"Ladies first, partner?" I wanted to be nice so I smiled and pushed the microscope towards her. She gave me a blank stare. The smile diminished as I pulled the microscope back towards me. "Or I could start, if you wish."

She blushed. "No, I'll go ahead." The smell that she blew my way made my head spin. I was dazed for several seconds before I acknowledged she had identified the first specimen. "Prophase." She said confidently.

I highly doubted she could have identified it so quickly. "Do you mind if I look?" I caught her hands by accident as I was reaching for the microscope. The warmth that spread from my hands was invigorating. I pulled away as quickly as she did, still holding the microscope. "I'm sorry," I mumbled. I peered into the microscope quickly, confirming it was, in fact, prophase. I was bewildered that she could have recognized it so easily. She must really be intelligent; other groups were sneaking looks in the texts books and arguing over the difference between Interphase and Prophase. "Prophase" I agreed and wrote it on the sheet. I changed the slide and recognized it as Anaphase. I voiced my opinion and wrote it down.

"May I?" She asked. I grinned and pushed the microscope back towards her. She looked disappointed as she confirmed what I already knew. We finished the lab within minutes and waited for the teacher to announce time was up. I looked over in her direction, trying, in vain, to read her thoughts. She looked up at me.

"Did you get contacts?" She asked me. I was confused by the random question.

"No." I answered wishing again to know the reason behind the question.

"Oh," she murmured. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

I shrugged nonchalantly and looked away. Inwardly I nearly had a heart attack. How could she have noticed the subtle change in my eyes! Sure they had been very close to black with hunger last time she saw them, but most humans were too unobservant to notice small changes like that. I took a shallow breath, trying to get as little as her scent in my nose as possible and put on a composed face just as the teacher was coming around. He looked over the flawless lab.

"So, Edward, didn't you think that Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" He asked. _Thinks he is so much better than everyone else._

"Bella," I corrected. I didn't want her to think I wasn't paying attention. "Actually, she identified three of the five." I didn't want to get all the glory if I didn't even do half the work. Mr. Banner looked at Bella quizzically.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

She smiled, embarrassed. "Not with onion root." I gaped at her. It was unlike humans to be so honest.

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yeah" she admitted, now blushing. Oh how that blood pooling in her cheeks called to me, combined with her scent, I nearly jumped up. I looked out the window to keep myself in check. Mr. Banner walked away and Bella resumed doodling on her notebook. I wanted to continue talking to her, to figure out the enigma that was Bella Swan. Looking outside, I saw that it was now raining, washing away all traces of the snow. 'It's a good place to start,' I thought to myself

"It's too bad about the snow isn't it?" I asked, the tone was a little forced.

"Not really," she answered. I looked over her honest features.

"You don't like the cold," I surmised.

"Or the wet."

That surprised me, considering that we were in one of the wettest places on Earth. "Forks must be a difficult place for you to live." I said, wanting to find out more.

"You have no idea." Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why did you come here then?" I was honestly interested; she looked surprised by the question.

"It's…complicated," she struggled. Another wave of her wonderful aroma passed over me. I stopped breathing and waited for it to pass.

"I think I can keep up," I said with the last of the air in my lungs. She paused, and then looked up into my eyes. I nearly gasped at the sight of her deep chocolate eyes.

"My mother got remarried," she said.

My brow furrowed, "that doesn't sound to complex." I stopped and rethought my answer. She could have hated the man or some other reason. I changed my tone, "when did it happen?"

"Last September." She sounded depressed, I wanted to comfort her but everything I could think of involved my hand contacting with her skin. I settled for answering her response.

"And you don't like him," I could tell by her tone.

"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough." I was confused again.

"Why didn't you stay with them?" I asked, wanting to get to the bottom of her sadness. She paused again.

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." She answered, a small smile on her face.

I smiled as well, thinking back to my family's last 'ball' game. "Have I heard of him?"

She scoffed. "Probably not. He doesn't play _well. _Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him," I assumed, hoping I wouldn't be wrong again. This was the first time in a while.

"No, she did not send me here. I sent myself here." She raised her chin, making that luscious neck more visible and the blood pounding just a fraction below the skin more enticing. I ignored it and chose to be more frustrated by the fact I was wrong again.

"I don't understand," I admitted. She sigh, sending yet another wave of her smell towards my unprepared nose.

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy…so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." She started bright, but ended up back in the depressed tone. It didn't seem right to me.

"And now you're unhappy" I said, hoping that I would not be wrong for a third time.

"And?" She challenged. I was taken aback.

"That doesn't seem fair." I shrugged; my eyes still pinned on her.

She laughed mirthlessly. "Hasn't anyone every told you? Life isn't fair."

You mean like an untimely death resulting in a need for blood to survive? "I believe I _have _heard that somewhere before."

"So, that's all," she insisted.

"You put on a good show. But I'd be willing to bet that your suffering more than you let anyone see." I said, slowly. She grimaced. "Am I wrong?" She ignored me. "I didn't think so," slightly smug that I had gotten something right.

"Why does it matter to _you_? She snapped.

I wondered that myself. "That is a very good question," I said quietly. Why did one small, albeit pretty, girl matter to me? I noticed that she was glaring at the chalkboard. I couldn't help but smile, she looked cute when she scowled. "Am I annoying you?"

"Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read – my mother always calls me her open book." I gaped at her for a moment before I could compose myself. If only she knew how hard it was for me to read her emotions.

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." It was the truth.

"You must be a good reader then."

I flashed a smile. She had no idea. "Usually."

Mr. Banner started up the lesson again and Bella turned her head to face him. I grabbed the underside of the table as I had previously, trying to escape from the smell that was coming from her. The moment the bell rang, I gathered my things and quickly walked out of the room.

After school, I waited in the fine mist for the rest of my siblings. As I leaned against the door as I saw Bella running to her car, trying to get out of the rain which she hated so much. I was fascinated by how she managed to trip over her own feet. She got into the truck and composed herself before throwing it into reverse, almost hitting another car in her hurry. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her face. She threw me a dirty look as she drove away.

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_Tell me how you like it!_

_If i'm doing ANYTHING wrong, please tell me so i can attempt to make my writing better. _

_Hayley_


	3. Phenomenon

_Here again. Wow, i've been updating like crazy toda.y I've been super bored. Anywho, This is a pretty good chapter and not as long as the last one (everyone cheers) Just read it and see. R&R_

**_I would like to state that nothing belongs to me and everything in this story belongs to the amazing Stephanie Meyers (my god and hero)._**

_Listen to some Elliot Smith for this chapter, very mellow, very awesome. If you like upbeat crazy techno stuff...go for The Mars Volta - Eria Tarka. _

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**Phenomenon**

Later on that night, it snowed. Emmett convinced everyone to go and have another snowball fight. Alice, Jasper and I were against Carlisle and Emmett while Rosalie, not wanting to mess up her hair and Esme sat on the sidelines of our Snow War. After about midnight I left the game that was quickly turning away from the snow and towards a more violent game. I wandered into the woods, thinking that I needed to go hunting again before tomorrow and biology. This was really starting to be a pain. I would have to hunt like this every night. I was running in a northern direction towards the mountains when I picked up the scent of a heard of deer and started to chase after it. I wasn't that thirsty so I was careful to pick out a small doe so I wouldn't waste anything.

After I was done, I walked slowly back to the house, my arms behind my head and my eyes closed. I could still remember the fire that had spread through my empty veins when Bella had touched my hand. I could almost still feel the soft delicate fingers that had so gently brushed my cold granite hand. I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. I couldn't get attached to any human, especially her. I shook the phantom hand out of my head and continued towards my house.

As I approached I saw Alice and Jasper sitting oh the porch. Alice was on the chair looking worried. If she could cry, tears would have been running down her face. Jasper was kneeling down in front of her, trying to sooth her. When they saw me, they both straightened up, on alert. I was immediately suspicious. I could still read their minds.

_I don't know what's going on. Alice had a vision and then she got all freaked out._ Jasper explained to me. I turned towards Alice, my eyes piercing her. I gently probed her mind to find that she was repeating the national anthem in as many languages as possible. My eyes narrowed.

"Please Edward, just let it be," she whispered, knowing I could still hear her. I went up the stairs towards her.

"Alice, what did you see?" I asked, keeping my voice steady, inwardly, I was panicked. I knelt down beside Jasper and tried to comfort her.

"Edward, it's nothing that concerns you," Her eyes pleaded with me. I knew that Alice would never give anything up if she didn't want to. I searched her mind once more before I got up and walked into the house. I ran quickly up the two flights of stairs towards my room, pondering what Alice had seen. My mind immediately flew to Jasper and that poor human girl in the cafeteria last week, but then Alice wouldn't have been so hesitant to tell me. It must have something to do with me.

I sigh and walked over to my wall of CD's and picked out a Nat King Cole CD. I went over to the long black leather couch, lay down and closed my eyes. Relaxing was as close to real sleep I could get. I hear a car door slam and the sound of tires moving down out road. I opened one eye and glanced at the clock, it read 5:30. I must have been wandering in the forest for a while, I surmised. The car was Carlisle leaving for work. Lucky for all the other doctors (and the nurses on the early morning shift) Carlisle didn't mind going in early. This was actually late for him and he usually left around 3:30.

I lazed around for another hour pondering over what Alice had seen but I still came up blank. Finally bored with sitting around and doing nothing, I got up to get ready for school.

I met my siblings by the Volvo with 15 minutes to go until school started. As we climbed into the car, I noticed Rosalie was angry because she had to wear a 'puffy ugly jacket' to school so we could blend in. Emmett was trying to sooth her but it didn't seem to be working. Alice was holding Jaspers hand tighter than normal and he was trying to calm her nerves. What she was nervous about, she still wouldn't give it up, no matter how hard I searched.

Today, I kept my eyes on the road. It was slippery and dangerous even for our reflexes. Going around the corner into the school parking lot, we swerved a little on a patch of black ice. I would have to remember that when I was driving home. I parked in out standard spot and watched everyone get out. Alice ducked down to talk to me.

"You coming in?" She asked, concerned.

"No, I think I'm going to wait here for a while." She stared at me really hard for a moment.

"To see Bella," it wasn't a question.

"No, I just need to…" Her mind cut me off._ You do realize that I can see the future right? It's pointless to lie to me_. I sigh in defeat "Yes, to see Bella. Not interfere, just see." I promised. She accepted this a walked over to where Jasper was waiting, hand outstretched.

I got out of the car just in time to see Bella's noisy truck pull into the parking lot. It didn't seem to have any problem conquering the black ice on the pavement. She parked four spaces down from me and somewhat gracefully jumped of the truck. She went around to the back tire to inspect something. 'Maybe something had punctured the tire,' I thought. I started to look away and walk to class when I heard a terrible screeching noise. I turned my head to see Tyler Crowley behind the wheel of a van that had just swerved on the same ice I did, headed straight towards Bella. I quickly glanced at her, horrified. 'Not her' was the last rational thought I had.

Everything became slow motion as I made a snap decision. Within milliseconds I was beside Bella, pushing her to the ground and covering her fragile body with mine, my jaw mere inches away from her neck. Her head hit the ground but she was save from the van for now. But another second later, the van was swerving back, threatening to crush her yet again. I swore in a low voice and I put my hand protectively out between Bella and the vehicle of her death, literally. My hands made perfect imprints in the metal, denting the steel like it was butter. But I had no time to worry about that, I quickly lifted the car and slid Bella's legs away from the glass and metal that was about to fall and crush her.

There was a small moment of silence before the panic ensued. Jessica and Angela were shouting Bella's name and then the flood of voices hit my mind.

Oh My God is she okay! Someone call 911 What just happened! Is Bella under the van?! Someone get Tyler out of there! 

I didn't care about Tyler; I cared about the delicate, beautiful, magnificent smelling human that lay protected beneath me. I leaned down to her ear so she could hear me.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

Her voice was slow, confused. "I'm fine," she said, trying to sit up. I pushed her gently back towards the ground, my arms still around her.

"Be careful," she struggled to be released from my grip. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

"Ow," She exclaimed.

"That's what I thought." I almost laughed at her expression. He face turned from hurt to confusion.

"How in the…" she stopped and took a breath. "How did you get over here so fast?"

"I was standing right next to you, Bella," trying to trick her into believing what I said to be true. She tried to sit up so I allowed it; she turned and looked into my face. She opened her mouth, like she was about to say something but then the crowd of people surged towards us.

"Don't move," someone shouted at us. Another one yelled something about getting Tyler out of the van. I couldn't do anything by look in Bella's eyes, pleading with her to believe me. She tried to get up again but this time I pushed her down.

"Just stay put for now," I put as much concern into my voice as possible.

"It's cold," she whined. I let out a surprised chuckle. Realization came to her eyes.

"You were over there," she said, desperate. I stopped laughing. "You were by your car."

I concealed my emotions. "No, I wasn't."

"I saw you." Her eyes widened. She breathed in my direction. A wave of her scent washed over me. I ignored it. This was more important.

"Bella, I was standing with you and I pulled you out of the way."

Her face hardened as she locked her jaw. "No."

"Please, Bella." I hated begging, but otherwise my family would kill me. I tried to communicate with her wordlessly, begging with my eyes.

"Why?" she asked.

"Trust me." It was all I could ask, I couldn't tell her anymore. Sirens filled the air. Great.

"Will you promise to explain everything to me later?"

"Fine," I snapped, knowing I had no intention of honoring that promise. I felt a pang of guilt as I straight out lied to her.

"Fine" She echoed.

After getting the van far enough away to fit stretchers in, they rushed in to load us up. They tried to convince me to be taken to the hospital, but I refused. If they checked my temperature or my pulse, any machine they had would tell them I was dead. Which I technically was. Bella tried to refuse hers as well.

"I think she hit her head rather hard," I explained to the defeated EMT. "She might have a concussion." The EMT took on a new determination and finally got Bella on the stretcher. Her face turned crimson when they put on the neck brace and loaded her into the ambulance.

I glanced at the EMT. "I'm her boyfriend, please may I go to the hospital as well?" It was the only way to let them go to the hospital. I needed to see if she was going to be okay, as well as make sure that she wouldn't accidentally piece together my mysterious appearing act. I'm sure she wouldn't have minded the little white lie, but there was no reason to tell her. The EMT nodded.

As I climbed into the front, I was bombarded by my family's angry thoughts.

_What the Hell happened Edward! Do you realize that you could have just ruined our lives?_ That was Rosalie

_Edward you idiot!_ Jasper was on the same page as Rosalie.

_Edward, be careful. _That was Alice. She wasn't angry, more…disappointed. Emmett's face just a mask of shock his hand clenched into fists, his mind blank. As if he couldn't even find the words to scold me. I shielded my eyes and mind from the horrified faces of my siblings.

We drove to the hospital in silence, Bella's father's cruiser a cars length in front of us, sirens blaring. I could only think of trouble that was going to come to me when I got home.

Once in the hospital, they put Bella and me in the emergency room and insisted that I be checked out. I refused, claiming I was fine; my hands were placed firmly behind my back. I asked for my father, the nurse sighed in annoyance and walked away to get him. I let my hands go and let them hang loosely by my side.

Several minutes passes and they rushed Tyler Crowley into the bad beside Bella. I stood a curtain away and patiently waited for my father.

I finally saw him walk through the doors separating the emergency room from the rest of the hospital. He almost ran towards me, his thoughts up in the air.

_What did you do Edward. Why. For a human girl? Is she more important than your family now?_ The last comment cut me deepest. Once he reached me, his face settled on an angry expression.

"What did you do?" His face was composed, so was his voice but there was an underlying edge that I couldn't recognize.

"I saved her life," I breathed. Carlisle gave me a stern look. _How?_ Was all his mind would ask. "I…I stopped a van from hitting her." _How?_ He asked again. My voice was so low even Carlisle had to strain to hear it. "I ran towards her…and stopped it with my hands. And lifted it up to get her legs out." I admitted, ashamed of myself.

Carlisle face stayed composed but there was a new tone to his voice I didn't quite get. "And you…care…for this girl?"

I didn't know how do answer his question. I wasn't quite sure of the answer myself. I decided to answer honestly. "I don't know," I said, slightly frustrated. Life, or rather death, could be so confusing. Carlisle just nodded.

"We'll talk about this later." He said in his stern, fatherly voice. I nodded miserably, knowing the worst was yet to come. He made up phony check-up documents pronouncing I was fine before heading off to look at Bella's chart and X-ray.

I moved the curtain separating me from Bella's bed and walked carefully into her makeshift room. Her eyes were closed and she looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb her.

"Is she sleeping?" I asked Tyler. Bella's eyes flew open in rage just as Tyler began to apologize.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry –" he started but I cut him off.

"No blood, no foul," I smiled as I sat on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing Bella. I smiled. "So what's the verdict? I asked.

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," she whined. I had to suppress a snicker. "How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?"

"It's all about who you know." I replied. "But don't worry, I came to spring you." She almost rolled her eyes as she looked away from me. Carlisle's thoughts entered the room and Bella's mouth hung open. I suppressed another snicker; He could have that effect on people.

"So, Miss Swan," he began in his best doctor voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she exclaimed, exasperated. Carlisle turned on the light board that illuminated the X-rays.

"Your X-rays look good. Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"It's fine." It didn't escape my notice that as she said this, she threw a dark glance in my direction. Carlisle started to search her skull for any sore areas, I felt jealous of my fathers hands running though her soft hair. I noticed she winced.

"Tender?" Carlisle asked.

"Not really," she said half-heartedly. She was trying to put on a brave face. I laughed quietly but quickly stopped when she threw another seething glare in my direction.

"Well, your father is in the waiting room - you can go home with him now. But come back if you fell dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all." Carlisle continued, ignoring her glare.

"Can't I go back to school?" That surprised me again. Most teenagers would do anything to get a day off school.

"Maybe you should take it easy today," he cautioned. Her eyes narrowed.

"Does _he_ get to go school?"

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived." I just secretly didn't want to go home and face my family.

"Actually, most of the school seems to be in the waiting room." Carlisle said. A small smile played on my lips at Bella's expression of horror.

"Oh no." She moaned and covered her red face with her hands.

"Do you want to stay?" Carlisle offered with a raise of his eyebrow.

"No, no!" she said all too quickly, jumping off the bed as fast as possible. Too fast. She stumbled, I readied myself in case she fell but Carlisle got there first. "I'm fine," she insisted for the third time.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he told her gently. She straightened up.

"It doesn't hurt that bad." I smiled once again for her bravery.

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky" He said, completing her chart.

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," she said, her face hard as she threw me yet another glance.

"Oh, well, yes." He suddenly turned around, interested in Tyler. I looked at Bella; there was a spark in her eyes that made me uneasy. "I'm afraid _you'll_ have to stay with us just a little bit longer." _Fix this Edward. Now_

Bella slid closer to me. Her scent nearly overwhelmed my senses. "Can I talk to you for a minute" she whispered angrily. I took a step back, trying to gain control. I locked my jaw.

"Your father is waiting for you," I said as calmly as possible. She glanced at my father and Tyler.

"I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind," she insisted. I glared at her and started to walk towards a small hallway. She had to jog to keep up. The events turned in my stomach making me angry. When we got to the vacant corridor, spun.

"What do you want," I asked, careful to keep my face expressionless.

"You owe me an explanation," she said, someone pathetically. I nearly scoffed.

"I saved you life – I don't owe you anything," I snapped. I took a breath to control my anger. The last thing I needed to do was loose my temper in front of her. I shuddered to think about what would happen.

"You promised." She sounded hurt. I hurt her. I really was a monster if I could hurt a beautiful creature like her. Unfortunately, I needed to hurt her, to keep her away.

"Bella, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." I let anger seep into my words, letting Bella think it was directed at her. She stared at me in anger.

"There is nothing wrong with my head."

I glared at her. "What do you want from me, Bella?" It felt good to say her name.

"I want to know the truth. I want to know why I'm lying for you." This was trying my patience.

"What do you _think_ happened?" I snapped. Te gate opened and her words rushed out like a flood.

"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me – Tyler didn't see you either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. The van was going to crush us both – and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it – and you left a dent in the other car and your not hurt at all – and the can should have smashed my legs, but you where holding it up." I could see tears forming in her eyes from frustration. She got it. Dead on, but I couldn't let her know that. I let years of lying train my voice till it was calm and until my face was cool and collected.

"You think I lifted a van off you?" I asked, lying through my teeth. She nodded, just once, her teeth clenched together. I kept my voice low. "Nobody will ever believe that, you know."

"I'm not going to tell anybody." That took me by surprise for the umpteenth time that day.

"Then why does it matter?" I asked, my nerves calming down.

"It matters to me. I don't like to life – so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it." She pressed.

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?" I sigh, not wanted to fight anymore.

"Thank you," she fumed. She waited, rooted to the spot.

"Your not going to let it go, are you?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Why else would she be giving me that expectant gaze?

"No" she said, teeth clenched. I scowled.

"In that case…I hope you enjoy disappointment." She glared at me in response for several second, trying to stare me down or trying to think of what to say next.

"Why did you even bother?" she asked coldly. If she was looking for something to hit a mark, she found it. I had been asking myself the same thing from the moment I made the decision to not let her die. My heart felt a pang of guilt for what I had just done to everyone. I knew my face showed my emotions but i made no effort to hide it. I looked in her deep thoughtful brown eyes one last time.

"I don't know," I whispered to myself. I turned and walked away, contemplating what had just happened, and how much my family was going to ignore and or hurt me when I got home.

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_Hope it was good, if not...i suck anyway._

_R&R_

_Hayley_


	4. Invitations

_I am so sorry about this one guys. it's even longer than the second one. It would have been out yesterday if Freecell wasn't such a distracting and awesome game. Like seriously, try it. It's more addicting than chocolate. Once again, probably OOC and i'm sorry. Oh and i need more reviews, it's a little pointless for me to be writing like novels if like six people are going to read it (BTW, i love those six people) Tell your friends. My goal is to have 100 reviews by the end. at least. Please lets try for 15 reviews before the next chapter. Tell your friends :3_

**_These characters in no way belong to me (if Edward belonged to me, i would defs be doing something else rather than writing about him) and the characters, storyline and dialouge all belong to the wonderfully amazing Stephanie Meyer._**

_For this, listen to Mad World by Gary Jules over and over and over again. (thank you iTunes for repeat) _

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I walked out of the hospital as quickly as I could. My stomach seemed to be in a knot, swallowing was difficult and it seemed to be getting harder to breathe. It was a strange and completely alien sensation. I picked up my pace and ran as fast as I could without arousing suspicion. I stopped in the parking lot when I realized my car was still at the school. I swore under my breath and shoved my hands in my pocket and started to walk down the street towards the school. Luckily Forks was a small tow, the hospital was a ten minute walk from the school. 

'What the Hell is wrong with me?' I had been asking myself that question lately too. 'How can one girl inspire so many confusing feelings?' One girl. Just a human. A very beautiful girl, but a human nonetheless.

I hated this never-ending stream of questions but I hated even more that none of them had answers, or at least none that I could find. I angrily kicked a pile of snow sending ice pellets 50 yards away. I scowled and kept walking, wondering what my family would do to my when I got home. I wasn't looking forward to Rosalie or Jasper yelling at me for several hours. 'Or both,' I thought grimly. Alice would ask question after question trying to get to the bottom of what I did and why I did it. That would probably be worse than the yelling. Emmett…I didn't know what Emmett would do. Probably take Rosalie's side. He always did.

A sudden thought hit me. 'What if what happened today had something to do with Alice's vision?' I pondered. It was possible. She could have been sad over the fact that we would have to go into hiding. But this was a different sad. I couldn't place it but it seemed more of a worried and panicked sensation. Maybe I was over thinking. I tended to do that.

I finally reached the school, walking as slow as I could to delay the inevitable. I saw my Volvo parked in an almost empty lot. The only cars left belonged to teachers. I walked over to my car and got in. I just sat there for a moment, staring out the window into the forest before starting it. I sigh and backed out, making sure to be careful around the black ice that covered the parking lot. I immediately felt a twinge of annoyance as I drove over it. They should really salt the entire lot. Hadn't there been enough accidents on it today? Did the janitor really want more students mangled in cars tomorrow? My face contorted into another scowl. I was really starting to take preference to that facial expression.

I actually drove the speed limit, taking as many detours as possible, just delaying getting home. 'Carlisle will probably beat me home,' I thought. It was weird to drive slowly when I usually pushed the limits of the engine. I didn't enjoy it but at the same time there was a part of my heart that liked it. It made me feel…normal. I had always craved being normal but I could never fit in anywhere with my strange amber eyes and pale, chalky complexion. Being different was hard, especially in high school, no matter how many times you went through it. My family would kill me for thinking these thoughts. They accepted the fact that they would always be the weird beautiful kids that sat alone in the corner of the cafeteria and talked to no one.

I finally reached the long driveway that looked more like a street. It led to the white mansion in the woods that was my house. I went even slower as I turned the car around the curves in the road. The house came into view and I stopped in my customary spot. I took a deep breath and got out; ready to face whatever they had to throw at me.

To my surprised, Alice came bolting out the door and wrapped me in an embrace so tight I could have sworn it was Emmett. I was definitely confused

_Thank you. Thank you so much. _

Now I was beyond perplexed. Why was she thanking me for almost ruining our entire lifestyle?

"Alice? What is going on?" I asked. The only thing I could get out of her head was thank you said over and over again. She looked up at me, a huge smile on her face and water in her eyes. I knew that the salty fluid would never flow over the edge, but this was her equivalent of crying. She reached up and rubbed her eyes.

"My vision yesterday. I saw what happened…but it was worse." She admitted, closing her eyes. By this time Carlisle had come outside and were waiting on the porch.

"And?" I pushed but Alice just shook her head and hugged me again. I looked up at Carlisle. He came over and joined us.

"Alice saw Tyler's van slide on the ice and hit Bella. You weren't there so she wasn't rescued. She died." He explained.

"How is that worse…?" I started but Carlisle shook his head. I waited for him to continue.

"Jasper forgot his books in your car this morning. He was on his way back to retrieve them when you were just saving her." He continued. "Alice saw Bella get hit by the truck and her blood spilled. In her vision, he couldn't control himself. He would have killed five people before Emmett and you restrained him. We wouldn't be here right now if you weren't there."

I stared at Carlisle then Alice, searching for the truth. I swallowed. "Do Jasper and the others know?" I asked. Carlisle shook his head slowly. _And I don't think they should._ I gulped and nodded again. I could see the logic behind it. If Jasper knew what he would have done then he would loose faith. I didn't want to watch Alice or him suffer. If Rosalie knew, she would blame him for almost ruining her life and he would sink into a further pit of depression. Emmett would agree with Rosalie of course.

"So, I'm to take the blame." It wasn't a question. I knew it was selfish that I didn't want to be responsible for my actions, that I wanted to point out what would have happened if I didn't interfere. I had to handle this maturely. Rosalie had been angry with me before and she got over it. Ten years later. Emmett and Jasper would get over it in a couple months. I sigh. This wasn't going to be pretty.

Before walked into the house with Alice and Carlisle on my side, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for Rosalie's rage. The moment I stepped into the house, Rosalie came flying down the stairs followed closely by Jasper.

"What were you thinking?" She screamed. I opened my mouth to answer but was abruptly cut off by her shrill voice. "Obviously you weren't. How could you do that Edward?" Her eyes burned with hate, I looked over to Jasper, trying to avoid her fiery gaze. He stared at me just as intently. I hung my head in shame as Rosalie continued her rant. "Do you have any respect for this family at all? Do you have any respect for Carlisle, for all he's…"

"I'm sorry," I said, cutting her off. I didn't want her to continue with that train of thought. Jasper still hadn't said anything but anger was getting more and more evident in his eyes with every word that escaped Rosalie's mouth.

"You better damn well be sorry. All for a stupid human girl." The knot in my stomach tightened at the mention of Bella. She noticed the change in my face. "What? Oh don't tell me…" She laughed mirthlessly. "You like this girl! You almost ruined everything for a pathetic crush on a useless human." Esme had appeared in the doorway alongside Emmett. He eyes widened.

"No," I said, my voice pained. "It's not like that."

"What, Edward? Don't like the fact that you choose a stupid human over your family?" My temper flared. She wasn't stupid and I didn't choose her over my siblings and parents.

"I said it's not like that," My voice equally as loud now.

"She's HUMAN Edward! What do you expect anyway? A declaration of love because you saved her life? Let me tell you, people are so fickle; she'll have a new crush by next week. You'll see." She screamed at me in return. My temper was rising and the knot getting tighter and tighter.

"Rosalie…" Carlisle cautioned. She glanced at him and shut her mouth, anger still flowing over the edge of her eyes and hate burned into each thought. Emmett walked over to her side and took her hand, trying to calm her. She ripped it away.

"How much does she know?" Her voice was calmer but the fury was still dripping from every word. I looked up. "How much, Edward?" Her voice was rising.

"She saw me lift the car, and run towards her," I said quietly. I could see her take a deep breath, controlling the anger. Her eyes flashed towards mine again.

"What does she think?" I was surprised at first to hear Jasper talking, but he had every right to this conversation as Rosalie did.

"She doesn't know. I tried to convince her she hit her head and she must have imagined it…" I stopped. "She won't tell anyone."

Jasper sighed in relief. "You looked through her mind then? You know she won't tell, well the we have nothing to worry ab…" I cut him off.

"Not exactly," I said. All eyes flashed to me. Frustration over came me. "I can't read her mind." It was even more infuriating to admit it.

"What do you mean you can't read her mind?" Rosalie asked through clenched teeth.

"It's…it's as if we're on different frequencies. It's not that it's blocked off or blank…it's as if it doesn't exist," I tried to explain.

"So you don't even know if she's going to go home and tell her father, the _Police Chief_ that the Cullen's are some sort of super freaks!" Her voice got louder and louder with each word.

"No, she won't tell," I said confidently. "She said she wouldn't and I trust her." The weird thing was that I truly did trust her, even after just one day, one conversation. Rosalie spun around and ran upstairs, cursing on the way, obviously frustrated by me. Emmett followed, eying me cautiously.

"She knows too much, Edward. Just stay away from her," Jasper said. His anger had calmed down and he was now obviously feeling my sadness. I nodded before he walked up the stairs.

"Thanks again. I know you'll do what's right," Alice said before swiftly kissing my cheek 'goodnight' and running up to meet her husband in their room.

"I'm going to have to agree with Jasper, Edward. Stay away from her for now, at least until things calm down." Carlisle said. He glanced over at Esme and gave her a look. _Talk to him_. She nodded. He left the room to go to his study. I looked over at Esme, miserably, knowing what was about to come.

"Edward…" She hesitated. "I'm not going to tell you to stay away from her. You obviously care for her no matter how much you deny it. Just do what's best for you and if that means talking to her everyday, then just…be careful."

I nodded, grateful for the advice. "Thanks." She nodded and got up, leaving me alone in the front hall. I didn't particularly want to go upstairs and be flooded by angry and sympathetic thoughts of my siblings. I walked back out the door into the, what I assumed to be, cool night air. I took a deep breath, drawing cold oxygen into my dead lungs, calming myself. If I didn't settle down, I might go back and yell at Rosalie some more, which I didn't really want to do.

I started to run, faster and faster, unaware of where I was going, just letting my legs take me where they wanted. I disappeared into the woods, dodging the trees that were passing in milliseconds. I let out a cool laugh as I started to slow, unaware of my position. I looked around and saw a fallen tree pointing east. I picked up speed again running in the direction the tree was pointing. Left, right, right, left, left again. I was running around until I was hopelessly lost, trying to run from my problems, from my family.

I broke through the trees and onto a road. I stopped only to find that I was right in front of Bella Swan's house. 'Well that's…a coincidence,' I thought, struggling to find the right word. In the back of my head my subconscious was telling me it was destiny but I pushed it out of the way. 'I should turn back… go home,' I thought. That's when the light in the house turned off. 'One peek wouldn't hurt,' I decided.

Cautiously I crept over to the large tree in the front yard and lithely climbed up to a branch equal to the top window. I peered in and saw Bella curled up in a ball, her comforter twisted and tangled around her as she tossed and turned. I strained my ears to hear what she was murmuring.

"Edward…no…wait…Edward," she said quietly. My dead heart nearly lurched out of my chest. I leaned closer, eager to hear more when she suddenly sat up. Quick as a flash I hopped out of the tree without a sound and ran back into the forest.

Fast as I could, I ran back to my house. Everyone was already in their rooms so I ran as quietly as I could up to my room and shut the door.

Bella Swan was having dreams about me. I tried as hard as I could to grasp the concept that an angel could be having dreams about a creature from hell. I paced in my room, put on music, tried to sit down and read 'The Catcher in the Rye' but I couldn't put her out of my head.

By morning, I still hadn't gotten any closer to figuring out the puzzle, which annoyed me to no end. Usually I was good at mysteries, I could read minds and figure out answers more easily, but in this particular game I didn't can that advantage. I glanced at the time and quickly took a shower and got dressed. As I went downstairs, I caught Rosalie's thoughts.

_I'm warning you Edward. Stay away from her today._

Her eyes still held most of the rage they did the night before, so I simply nodded and retrieved the keys to the Volvo. Alice bounded down the stairs, pulling a weary eyed Jasper behind her. I walked out the door and got into my car, followed closely by the rest.

The ride to school was an awkward one. No one talked but I could hear their thoughts of me the entire time. Rosalie was still angry and was apparently not going to talk to me for a very long time. Jasper understood my actions but still upset with me. Emmett was clearly thinking that I had gone insane and Alice was happy as ever. I tried to block out the thoughts that were pushing their way into my consciousness.

The moment I put the car into Park, the other climbed out and got away from me as fast as possible. I figured I deserved it and got out of the car myself. The first thing I noticed was Bella crossing the parking lot, followed by a large group of admirers. The second was that there were no FBI agents trying to capture my family or I so Bella must have kept her promise for now. I quickly went thought the minds of the kids surrounding her, making sure that she hadn't spilled any secrets. When I was satisfied that she hadn't, I started to walk to class.

I spent all of lunch listening in on Bella's table's conversation and the thoughts of the people there. Mostly boring teenage angst, much of it about the upcoming dance, nothing about vampires or super humans with amazing strength and speed. Content with this, I leaned back in my chair and relaxed a little, but not much. I still had to face biology.

I was one of the first in the room, quickly heading over to my set and placing my books down. I shifted my chair as far to the edge of the desk as was possible and waited, looking at the board.

When she walked into the room and sat down beside me, her aroma hit me as hard as the first day. The venom flowed in my mouth but I insisted to myself that I wasn't hungry. I kept my eyes straight ahead.

"Hello Edward," she said warmly. 'Damn.' Instead of risking a response, I turned ever so slightly and nodded. I was going to keep my promise and ignore her. Maybe then Rosalie would forgive me faster and things could go back to normal. 'Things won't ever be normal if you just ignore the beautiful and stunning girl next to you,' my subconscious told me. I ignored it as well.

* * *

Days, weeks went by and every day followed the same pattern as the day after the accident. I would peak through the minds of everyone Bella talked to, in Biology I ignored her, no matter how much I craved to speak to her and at night, I sat in the tree outside her window just to hear her voice. Every day, I gradually lessened the relentless investigation on everyone's mind and started to trust Bella more and more. It made it even harder to not talk to her in Biology where she sat, everyday, less than a foot away from me and everyday her amazing scent made my mouth water. It was unbearable. 

As the day of the dance drew closer, I noticed more and more boys thinking of Bella and what she would say if they got to ask her to the event. Some of the fantasies running through the minds of adolescent boys were simply vulgar. I found them even more disgusting when the star of the daydreams was Bella. Every time a boy started to mentally undress her I wanted to go over and snap his neck for even thinking of her in that way. The worst was Mike Newton when it came to revolting daydreams. If there was a human I wanted to kill, it was him. I thrust those vicious thoughts out of my head and tried to concentrate on school. In those weeks, I paid more attention to my teachers than ever, focusing on the lessons that I had learned a hundred times.

I spent much time sifting through Jessica's mind because she seemed to be the one Bella spent the most time with. It was filled with thoughts of asking the repulsive Mike Newton to the dance, I nearly shuddered at the thought. _Just go up and ask him, be cool. He can't say no. _She reassured herself. Despite myself, I was interested how this would turn out but unfortunately for me, my class was the other way. 'If Mike Newton goes with Jessica, he won't have a chance for those…dreams…of his to come true,' I thought to myself smugly, when Jessica went running after him.

The next time I saw them was the next day at lunch. Jessica was sitting as far away from Mike as possible.

_I can't believe he said no…well not no…he has to think about it._ She was thinking is a very distasteful tone. I looked worriedly over at Mike.

_Just straight out ask her…in biology. Yeah, that's good. That Cullen freak just ignores her so that's not an issue. _Mike stared wistfully over at Bella. A surge of anger rolled through my head.

"Calm down Edward." I looked up, Jasper was staring at me. Of course he could feel my emotion. "What's the matter?" He asked. By this time Emmett and Rosalie were staring at me.

"Nothing. I just…I want to get out of school. It's particularly boring today," I lied. They would probably just get angry at me if I told them I was thinking of Bella. Alice looked at me.

It's Bella…isn't it? 

I couldn't lie to Alice. My eyes went towards the ceiling and then back towards the floor, giving her a subtle nod.

You want to ask her to the dance? 

I slightly shook my head. I truly didn't. I just didn't want anyone else to ask her either. Alice gazed at me intently before accepting that I was telling the truth.

_Talk to her._

I shook my head again. I couldn't just talk to her after over a month of ignoring her.

_Fine, do it your way._

Even her thoughts were exasperated. I looked over at her as she was getting up to go to class. Rosalie and Emmett had apparently already left. She wasn't speaking to me and neither was Emmett by extent. He would come around, I wasn't so sure about her.

"Bye Edward, have fun in class," Alice told me just before leaving. I could see the wicked glint in her eyes. I glared at the back of her skull as she skipped off, once again leaving me alone.

I picked up my tray and dumped the untouched food in the garbage. 'What a waste.' I sigh and walked down the nearly empty halls to my locker. I gathered my books and headed off to biology. I was slightly dreading it. Not because of the monotonous ramblings of Mr. Banner but I was in fear that Bella might say yes to Mike's invitation to the dance. My mind once again drifted over to the fantasies that played out in the twisted mind of Mike. I shivered slightly and pushed them out of my head. Bella must have better taste than that.

When I reached biology, neither Bella nor Mike were there. I sat down on the desk, far away from Bella's seat as possible. I looked up to see Bella and Mike walking into class together. My fears strengthened but dissipated slightly when I saw the uncomfortable look on her face. I allowed myself a slight smile. Bella came over and sat in the seat next to me and Mike perched himself on the table, facing Bella.

"So, Jessica asked me to the spring dance." _Like I would say yes to her when I still have a chance with Bella_

Bella put on a false bright smile. I wondered why it was so fake. "That's great. You'll have a lot of fun with Jessica." Could she be upset about him going to the dance with someone else? If only I could read her thoughts, it would make everything much easier.

"Well…I told her I had to think about it." _Why…does she want me to do with Jessica?!_

"Why would you do that?" I could hear the disapproval in her voice. 'Well that's good.' I thought to myself. 'She doesn't want to go with him.' Mike's face had taken on a colour to rival Bella's.

"I was wondering if…" _Just say it!_ "Well, you might be planning to ask me."

I turned my head slightly, just to see Bella's face. The guilt was evident. A wave of happiness washed over me, she was going to say no.

"Mike, I think you should tell her yes."

Panic took over Mike's voice. "Did you already ask someone?" _She asked that freaking Cullen didn't she. What's he got that I don't. _I suppressed a snicker as Mike gave me a quick glance.

"No, I'm not going to the dance at all." I wondered why that was, or if it was only an excuse to get out of going with Mike.

"Why not?" He demanded. _Couldn't she just say no?_

"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday," she explained quickly. The familiar blush was creeping up her neck as her heart rate increased slightly. She was lying.

"Can't you go some other weekend?" _Please, please say yes._

"Sorry, no," her voice turned slightly cold. "So you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer – it's rude."

"Yeah, you're right." _Man, now I'm suck with Jess._ He walked back to his seat, disappointed. I turned my head towards Bella and stared at her. She had her eyes closed and was rubbing her temples. She exhaled sending another wave of her scent in my direction. I paid no attention to it as I tried one again to read the mind that wasn't available to me. Mr. Banner started talking again but I simply ignored him, my gaze fixated on Bella. She opened her eyes and looked over at me, surprised. Her hands started to shake.

"Mr. Cullen?" the teacher called to me. I didn't even realize what he was talking about. Without taking my eyes off Bella, I gently probed his mind for the answer.

Did I finally stump the genius? He obviously doesn't know the answer. It's simple really. The Krebs Cycle. Maybe I should ask…

"The Krebs Cycle," I answered, reluctantly turning my attention back to the front of the class. Mr. Banner resumed his speech as Bella put the curtain of hair back between us sending more of her aroma towards my nose. I stiffened slightly and concentrated on the lesson.

The bell rang and Bella quickly got together her stuff and stood up.

"Bella?" I asked. She froze and turned, slowly, carefully. I kept my face composed as she turned her wary face towards mine.

"What? Are you speaking to me again?" There was a definite edge of annoyance in her voice. I unsuccessfully tried to suppress a smile.

"No, not really." I just wanted to explain to her the truth, so I wouldn't hurt her anymore. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth loud enough for me to hear.

"Then what do you want, Edward?" She asked, her eyes still closed.

"I'm sorry. I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way." It was better this way. Better for her at least. My heart lurched as it realized that this was my way of telling her to stay away from me. She opened her eyes.

"I don't know what you mean," She said, her voice and expression guarded.

"It's better is we're not friends. Trust me." I really wanted her to believe me, to have the same trust for me as I had for her. Maybe if she stayed away then I wouldn't be a danger to her. Her eyes narrowed.

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier," she hissed thought clenched teeth. "You could have saved yourself all this regret." That caught me off guard. I didn't know what she meant. I didn't regret anything I had done.

"Regret? Regret for what?" I had to know what was going on in her angelic head.

"For not just letting that stupid van squish me."

I stared at her, not knowing what to say. Of course I didn't regret that. I would have regretted it if I did let the 'stupid van' kill her. I would have regretted it all my life. So this is what she thought of me. I couldn't help the gates of anger that this knowledge unlocked. "You think I regret saving your life?" I asked, trying to keep the fury out of my tone. How could she think such an idiotic thing?

"I _know_ you do," she hissed at me.

"You don't know anything," I snapped in return. If she did, she probably wouldn't be making a thirsty vampire angry. She turned away and stalked off, books in hand. She was just leaving the room when she tripped over the door jam. I suppressed a laugh and went over to help her. When I saw the anger in her face, my expression hardened. I bent down, picked up her books and handed them to her.

"Thank you," her eyes as cold as her voice.

"You're welcome." I replied. She walked away before I had finished.

The next period was as boring as my morning classes as I struggled to listen to the teacher.

I'll just ask her. Smooth. After class.

I glanced over at Eric who was biting on the end of his pen, his brow furrowed in concentration. I felt a sinking sensation in my gut when I realized who he was thinking about. Could Bella have any more guys in love with her? I told myself to breathe. If she turned down Mike, she would probably turn down Eric as well. I started to gather up my books just in time for the bell to ring. I walked outside and positioned myself close enough so I could hear the conversation

Eric wasn't far behind me as he took his place, waiting by Bella's red truck. Minutes later, I saw her walk out of the school, concentrating hard on not tripping and falling in a puddle. She looked up to locate her truck and saw Eric waiting for her.

"Hey, Eric," she yelled over to him, still walking.

"Hi, Bella." _Be cool. Be cool. Be cool…_ He repeated it like a mantra over and over again.

"What's up?" She wasn't really paying attention. I could tell as she unlocked the door to her truck.

"Uh, I was just wondering…if you would go to the spring dance with me?" I nearly laughed at the look of surprise on Bella's face.

"I thought it was girls' choice," she said, a bewildered look on her face. I had to look away to suppress the laughter.

"Well, yeah."

"Thank you for asking me, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day." I looked back. There was no blush or raise in her pulse. She wasn't lying this time. That confused me.

"Oh. Well maybe next time."

"Sure." She replied hesitantly. Eric passed me as I walked over to my car. I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my lips as I walked past the red truck. Bella glared at me and jumped in her truck. _Okay, so she turned down mike, whatever. I'm way better than him anyway. _I looked back quickly to see Tyler Crowley in his new car, looking over at Bella. I couldn't resist watching this.

I was in my car and backing out when she finally got her truck started. I parked and waited for my family, blocking off her escape route. I saw Bella glaring at my car as Tyler got out of his Sentra and waved at Bella. He walked over to her passenger door and knocked on the window as she hesitantly unrolled it.

For the third time a boy asked her to the dance and for the third time, she turned them down. I couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on her face as she glared at him and then me. Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice all slid gracefully into the car and I drove off, watching Bella in the rear view mirror.

"What's so funny?" Emmett asked, confused. At least he was talking to me.

"Nothing," I replied. I knew that everyone would get even more angry if I told them if was about Bella. Emmett just shook his head. _Insane_ was all his mind revealed.

That night I followed my regular routine. I went hunting early in the evening and then to Bella's house that night. Alice was the only one who knew what I was doing and surprisingly supported me. I loved Alice like the sister I never had. It was her that I trusted with my every thought and plan.

I quickly climbed the tree and sat on the branch that let me peer into her room. She left the window open; I guessed it was because for once in the last few weeks, it wasn't raining. Against all of my better judgments, I quietly stole into her room. The smell was almost overwhelming but wonderfully so. I sat on the floor and watched the beautiful angel sleep, slightly jealous of that ability.

I stayed like that all night. Debating with myself about her. When the sun started to rise behind the clouds, she shifted, ever so slightly in her sleep. Before I could resist myself, I had gotten up and was standing beside her bed. I slowly reached down and stroked her cheekbone. I quickly removed my hand as she shivered and wormed her way farther down into her covers. I shook my head, silently scolding myself and leapt out the window.

After my family got out of the Volvo, I waited for her to arrive. I decided that it was pointless to resist my attraction to her and I wanted to be her friend. My family disapproved of my decision but I didn't really care. Well, at least Alice and Esme didn't mind.

I saw Bella's pickup truck round the corner into the parking lot. I saw her glance at my car and deliberately park as far away from it as the parking lot would allow. I smiled at her effort. I smoothly got out of my car and walked up to her. She clumsily dropped her keys as she was getting out of the truck so I quickly bent down and got them for her. I leaned against her car, smiling at her surprised and irritated expression.

"How do you _do_ that?" She asked, the irritation in her voice clear.

"Do what?" I asked innocently, handing her back the key. She scowled at me. Then looked down.

"Why the traffic jam last night?" she asked, changing the subject. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."

"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." I chuckled. She glared at me with a gaze to rival Rosalie's.

"You…." I could tell she was struggling to find a word that would suit how terrible I was.

"And I'm not pretending you don't exist," I interrupted, not wanting her to finish that thought.

"So you _are_ trying to irritate me to death. Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?"

Fury crossed over my features. "Bella," I cherished saying her name, no matter how angry I was. "You are utterly absurd."

She clenched her hands into fists. She turned her back to me and stalked off in a huff. I didn't mean what I said, I wanted to be friends with her…be more than friends with her, to be able to hold her warm skin between my hands and admire her blush every minute of every day. I had to apologize.

"Wait," I called after her, quickly walking to match her pace. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm not saying it isn't true. But it was rude anyway." I immediately took that back in my head. _She_ wasn't absurd. Her idea that I wanted her dead was.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" she asked, not looking at me.

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me." I laughed. It was a hard thing for someone to do and the only one who could accomplish it was Alice.

"Do you have multiple personality disorder?" She asked, obviously still upset.

"Your doing it again." I reminded her.

"Fine then." She sighed, sending some of her scent towards me. Luckily we were outside where it didn't affect me as much. "What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday – you know, the day of the spring dance –" I started.

"Are you trying to be _funny_?" she asked, interrupting me. I knew that she was going to take it like this so I grinned.

"Will you please allow me to finish?" I asked. She bit her lip and held her hands together. "I heard you say you were going to Seattle that and I was wondering if you wanted a ride." I had nothing to do that day and I desperately wanted to spend time with her. I could see the shock on her face.

"What?"

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?"

"With who?" She was obviously shocked that I went from completely ignoring her to asking her if she wanted to spend the day with me. I didn't care. I just wanted her to say yes.

"Myself, obviously." I said every word carefully, hoping to snap her out of the daze she was in.

"_Why?_"

'Because I want to spend time with you, because I love you' my mind said. "Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it." I said, thankful that I was such a good liar.

"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern," she turned and walked away. I started to walk after, catching up easily.

"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business." A flash of annoyance crossed her features again. I smirked.

"The wasting of finite recourses is everyone's business," I replied.

"Honestly Edward." My smile widened, I liked it when she said my name. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be." It was the truth. I wanted more than anything to be close to her.

"Oh, thanks, now that's _all_ cleared up." Sarcasm dripped from every word, I winced slightly at the tone.

"It would be more…" I struggled for the right word…safe? "_Prudent_ for you not to be my friend." I explained. "But I'm tired of staying away from you, Bella." She simply stared into my eyes. "Will you go with me to Seattle?"

She nodded, obviously at a loss for words. I smiled. I could have that effect on humans. My face quickly became serious as I uttered to her a final warning, just to be fair. " You really _should _stay away from me. I'll see you in class." I turned and walked to class, utterly thrilled that she just agreed to spend a day with me.

* * *

_So i am increadibly sorry about Edwards male PMS. that isn't my fault.  
I think he may be an angsty emo at heart  
Not that i don't love him  
As always, R&R_

_Hayley_

_PS: I'll probably get the next chapter out next weekend. Weirdly, i have a life...(thats a lie)_


	5. Blood Test Part 1

_Once again I blame Freecell for making this take SO long. Sorry about that :( Oh well, that and my new job. I've worked everyday this week and i've had NO time. Stupid deli... Anywho, this is actually only half the fifth chapter because:  
a.) I figured if i took any longer certain people might shoot me...  
b.) The moment I hit 15 pages, i decided you guys would kill me for making you sit though an hour of my excruciatingly horrible writing  
c.) i wanted to update cuz i haven't gotten any reviews in a bazillion years and to be quite frank, it makes me lonely (yes, i realize i have no life...i've decided i don't care because neither (technically) does Edward Cullen and look at him :P )_

_Which reminds me...**I own nothing to do with Twilight (not characters, dialouge or plot) that all belongs to the wonderfully talenty Stephanie Meyer who i've come to love and adore (in a strictly non-stalker way). Well, thats not true, i seem to own my Edwards male PMS, something i am truly sorry for (i shall try to coax him on to midol... if that works on vampires...and males...). I blame music.**_

_Speaking of music, listen to Swallowed by the Sea by **Coldplay** and Cast no Shadow by **Oasis**. Both these songs get me in the very emo angsty mood that is completely necessary when writing about emo angsty hundred year old vampires. Repeat is your friend. _

_Hayley_

* * *

After talking to Bella, being so close that her scent filled every crevice of my lungs and nose, I couldn't concentrate on Math. I couldn't let her affect me like this. I took a deep breath and turned my focus to the front of the room. We were learning about Quadratic Formulas and Equations. 'Easy,' I thought, 'but still involves some brain activity.' I quickly started to fill in the sheet that Mr. Ross had handed out. It was simple and I was done in a matter of minutes. I leaned back in my seat and waited for the rest of the class to catch up. 

That's when I smelt it. There was blood, that was for sure and all from different people. I sat up, automatically and irrationally worried about Bella.

"Mr. Ross, may I be excused?" I asked, hiding the panic in my voice. He came over to my desk and checked over my work before nodding. I nodded thanks and walked swiftly out of the room. I quickly walked down the stairs to where the smell was coming from. It was only when I was half way down the stairs when I realized that I might loose control if Bella's blood was one of the many scents that were making their way into my nose. It was then I realized that it was coming from the science hall. Bella had English in the morning. Curious I followed the scent to room 125, the biology room. I peeked into the small window on the door. Mr. Banner was pacing the isles as the kids in class pricked their fingers and examined the blood on the slides.

I was just about to turn away and go back to class when…

"Hey Edward." Alice chirped brightly. I nearly jumped in surprise.

"Alice. Why didn't you tell me about this? I have biology after lunch!" I was angry, this could have ruined everything. Particularly is Bella had pricked her finger before I managed to escape class.

"Calm down. I was going to tell you at lunch." She said, rolling her eyes at me. "You worry too much."

"Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett?" I asked tersely, still angry. I was playing out scenarios in my mind of what could have happened if Biology came around and I didn't know about the activities. 'The best case seemed to be that everyone in the class ended up dead,' I thought grimly.

"Rosalie doesn't have biology until next semester, Emmett isn't taking it this year and Jasper knows. I'm skipping last period to be with him." She rolled her eyes again.

"What does Mr. Banner think of this?" I asked her. She should have at least come up with a good excuse for getting out of class.

"Simple. I told him I was afraid of needles and pretended to faint when he pulled one out." She admitted lightly. I nodded. It was a good reason to avoid the activity; I, however, would probably just skip class without good reason. I did it often enough.

"I have to go back to class Alice."

"Okay, have fun. Oh, that reminds me, have fun at lunch as well" she grinned.

I was wary of her somewhat devious expression. "What is happening today at lunch?"

"You haven't planned it yet? Oh, well your having lunch today with Bella," she explained. She grinned wickedly at my expression. "Have fun, I have to go." She practically danced down the hall in the opposite direction.

I was slightly jealous of her skipping class. Math was so tediously boring. I took my time going back to class. Wandering and looking at the posters and pictures on the walls. The moment I walked into class and sat down at my desk, the bell rang. As I gathered my things, my teacher was walking towards me.

_Took twenty minutes to do what? Probably to visit his girlfriend, this will mean detentions for…_

I looked up and gazed into Mr. Ross' eyes. It was time to use my 'abilities' to their fullest power. I turned my gaze seductive, hypnotic, much like a snake looking at a mouse. All the other students had left, what harm could it do.

"I'm sorry I was late, my sister fainted in class." I explained, my voice just as mesmerizing as my eyes. "I assure you, it won't happen again:" He nodded with a dazed expression on his face as I picked up my books and left.

_What just happened…?_

I walked down the hall to my next class, dreading the repetitive lesson awaiting me. I arrived and took my customary seat in the middle row and prepared myself for the boredom that would inevitably come. I poised my pen above my paper as my teacher walked in and jumped right into the lecture.

I thought about what Alice had said. Lunch with Bella would be nice, more than nice. I could feel myself wanting to get to know her better, perhaps to make up for what I couldn't see in her mind. She was intelligent and beautiful and…and… 'Your in love with her,' I realized. I produced a sigh that could have easily been mistaken for boredom and sunk down further into my chair. It would be interesting to see how this would turn out.

I glanced at the clock with 30 seconds left in the periods. I started to gather my things and was out the door the moment the bell rang. I had to make it to the cafeteria before she did to reserve a table. Plenty of people stared at me as I rushed down the hall.

_Where is he going is such a hurry...?_

_He has to be the best looking boy in school…or possibly the world…_

When I reached the cafeteria, I saw my family waiting for me, waving me over. I shook my head. Alice turned her head; shrugging it off as yet another one of her visions came true. Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett continued to stare. I shook my head again and nodded to Alice. She would explain.

I picked a table as far away from my family as I could manage, as if distance would stop their angry thoughts. I pulled out a chair and quietly waited for Bella to walk through the doors. I could hear the astonished thoughts bouncing though the small cafeteria and feel the surprised eyes on the back of my neck. Bella walked in accompanied by her usual friends. I followed her eyes as she glanced over at my usual table and grinned when her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She walked over to the food line and picked out at lemonade before she started over to her normal table. I waited for her to catch my eye so I could motion her over.

Unfortunately, Jessica caught it first. _Oh my gosh. Is he…he's looking at me!_ I shifted my gaze to Bella. Her face immediately went into a scowl then into a false smile. _Oh, he wants Bella. What is the matter with boys in this school!_ She leaned over and started to inform her friend.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you again." Bella looked up, hopeful. "I wonder why he's sitting alone today." Bella followed Jessica's gaze to meet my eyes. I smiled and motioned her over. She just stared. I winked playfully; wanting to get the message across that this wasn't just about a homework question.

"Does he mean _you?_" Astonishment coloured ever word with jealous undertones.

"Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework." I smiled as I heard this. Obviously she didn't get the meaning behind my wink.

"Um, I'd better go see what he wants." I beamed as she started to make her way over to the empty seat beside me. She stared undecidedly at the vacant chair. I could see that she was going to need some encouragement.

"Why don't you sit with me today?" I couldn't stop smiling as she sat down. There was a long pause. I hadn't thought through the conversation, just the invitation. Which had worked rather well.

"This is different," she said.

"Well…" I stopped. "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly." If I was going to torture myself by denying myself the only thing I'd ever wanted, why not torture myself equally by putting myself around the strongest blood I had ever smelt, but have the only person I'd ever wanted, Bella. It all balanced out.

She simply stared at me, obviously confused. "You know I don't have any idea what you mean." I smiled again. That was the point.

"I know." I shifted my mind over to her normal table to find the reason behind the furious glares that Mike was giving me.

_What a…If there weren't teachers around, I would punch Cullen so hard…what's he got that I don't. Bella should be over here with me. _

_What is she doing with him? She doesn't even deserve Mike, let alone the hottest most unavailable guy in school. She should be over with us, or better yet over with the chess club nerds where she belongs._

"I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you." She shifted an inch, sending wave after wave of her glorious aroma to me. I gripped the underside of the table with my free hand. Maybe I wasn't as strong as I thought. I was using all the strength I had to restrain from leaping up right then. I composed myself within moments.

"They'll survive."

"I may not give you back, though." Did I really mean that? Maybe I was too dangerous for her. She was so fragile and I…was a monster. I struggled to keep my face calm. She gulped and her heart race increased. I laughed to cover my emotions and pushed them deep down.

"You look worried."

"No," she said. That surprised me. "Surprised actually…what brought all this on?"

"I told you – I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up." I smiled. Maybe giving up wasn't the best idea, but when I was close to her, when I smelt that delicious scent radiating from her body, when I listened to her, I lost all power to control my will. I would have to be extra careful.

"Giving up?" Her eyes filled with confusion.

"Yes – I'm giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may." I would just have to work incredibly hard to suppress my primal instinct.

"You lost me again."

I smiled once again. "I always say too much when I'm talking to you – that's one of my problems."

"Don't worry – I don't understand any of it." Sarcasm crept into her tone.

"I'm counting on it."

"So, in plain English, are we friends now?" She looked hopeful. I wanted with every inch of my being to live up to that hope and spend every minute of every day with her. Instead, I had to be cautious.

"Friends…" I was unsure even if that was safe enough for her. Of course I wanted to leap across the table, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss her, inhale her scent and hold her for all eternity, or clench my mouth around her neck and take the life giving liquid I craved so much.

"Or not…"

I grinned. "Well, we can try, I suppose." As long as I drank everyday and suppressed my urges like I was doing now, I could be around her. I hoped. "But I'm warning you now that I'm not a very good friend for you." I kept my smile up but put real meaning behind every word. Putting her life in danger every time she was near me was a very irresponsible and selfish thing to do.

"You say that a lot," she grumbled.

"Yes, because you're not listening to me. I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me." It pained my frozen heart to say that. I wanted to take it all back and tell her the truth, but I bit the words back. It was for her own good, even if it was worse for me.

"I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear." I smiled. "So, as long as I'm being…not smart, we'll try to be friends?" She struggled.

"That sounds about right." Well, at least we were friends…for as long as she didn't realized how dangerous I really was. She looked away, I tried to find her eyes but she refused, staring at the lemonade bottle.

"What are you thinking?" I would give anything to know what was going on in her beautiful head, even my immortal life. She looked up at me, and I stared into the deep chocolate vats, trying to decipher the thoughts that lay jumbled behind them.

"I'm trying to figure out what you are." My jaw tightened and I struggled to keep my anger in check.

"Are you having any luck with that?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Not too much," she confessed. I let my face loosen. I tried to convince myself that there was no way that she could know. I chuckled at her honesty.

"What are your theories?" I asked, wanting to know. She blushed and a deep pink rushed to her cheeks. She kept her mouth closed. I smiled and tilted my head to the side and stared deeply into her dazzling eyes. "Won't you tell me?" I made my voice silky and sweet, trying to pry the information out of her. She shook her head.

"Too embarrassing."

My shoulders slumped when my attempt had failed. "That's _really_ frustrating, you know." I knew I was complaining but I was so used to plucking the answers and reasons from peoples minds, an advantage I clearly didn't have here.

"No." I could tell something bad was coming, as she got defensive. "I can't _imagine_ why that would be frustrating at all – just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep up at night wondering what they could possibly mean…now, why would that be frustrating?" I grimaced at her tone.

"Or better, say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things – from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and he never explained any of that, either, even after he promised. That would also be _very_ non-frustrating." I held back a smile; she was quite funny when she was angry.

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

"I don't like double standards," she stated simply.

I turned my attention, once again, to the table of the unsmiling faces glaring in our direction.

_What the hell is he doing to her? She looks pissed. Maybe I should go over there, teach him a lesson._

I started laughing. As if he could do anything to me. Bella looked at me suspiciously.

"What?"

"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you – he's debating whether or not to come break up our fight." I laughed again at the mere thought of it. Not only did I stand half a foot above his spiky blonde hair but I was also indestructible. Bella gave me a sour look.

"I don't know who you're talking about. But I'm sure your wrong anyway."

"I'm not." I knew for sure I wasn't wrong. I had a slight advantage over others. "I told you, most people are easy to read." All except one.

"Except me, of course."

"Yes. Except for you." I tried to keep my face calm but frustration and anger seeped in to my expression. "I wonder why that is." I continued to stare at her perfect face – her deep brown eyes, heart shaped face and her full lips. I let my eyes linger there before looking, once again into her eyes. She looked away and sipped at her lemonade.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"No. You?" She glanced down at the empty table in front of me.

"No, I'm not hungry." My mouth turned up at the absurdity of the comment. The one person whose blood I was lusting after was asking me if I was hungry. It was ironic.

"Can you do me a favor?"

I immediately guarded my expression. "That depends on what you want." I didn't want to divulge too many secrets about my life to her.

"I just wondered…if you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good. Just so I'm prepared." I nearly laughed when she replied but kept my lips pressed together when I realized she was serious.

"That sounds fair."

"Thanks

"Then can I have one answer in return?" I asked, my thought turning back to her theories. This would be so much easier if I could just read her thoughts.

"One."

"Tell me _one_ theory." Bella's face grew hard but blush still rushed to her cheeks.

"Not that one."

"You didn't qualify, you just promised me one answer," I argued.

"And you've broken promises yourself," she retorted.

"One theory – I won't laugh." I turned on the charm that I had used this morning with my teacher, trying to lure Bella into a daze. She was looking down so my eyes couldn't connect with hers.

"Yes, you will." She said confidently, looking up. I could see her sanity begin to slip away.

"Please?" I said a final time, edging towards her face. She blinked and in a second, all reason disappeared from her eyes.

"Er, what?"

"Please tell me one little theory?" I said, still staring into her flawless face – unable to look away.

"Um, well, bitten by a radioactive spider?" I acknowledged the Peter Parker reference because I had heard it before. I scoffed. I thought she was more intelligent than that.

"That's not very creative," I pointed out.

"I'm sorry, that's all I've got." The spell was broken as her face turned into discontentment at my quick dismissal of her idea.

"Your not even close," I teased, trying to lighten her mood.

"No spiders?"

"Nope."

"And no radioactivity?"

"None." Although being a radioactive freak would probably be better that what I am now, I thought bitterly.

"Dang." She said, obviously disappointed that she was so off in her estimates.

"Kryptonite doesn't bother me, either." I said, laughing as guessed another of her theories. If she thought I was Spiderman, than Superman wasn't far down the line.

"You're not supposed to laugh, remember," she scolded sharply. I resisted the urge to laugh harder at her tone. It almost made her sound like Esme. I tried to calm my face.

"I'll figure it out eventually," she warned.

"I wish you wouldn't try." Her life was difficult enough without a coven of undercover vampires adding to her problems.

"Because…?"

"What if I'm not a superhero?" I asked, going along with her comic book theory. "What if I'm the bad guy?" And I truly was. I was the one feeding on innocent civilians until the hero came to save them.

"Oh." She said simply. I felt a stab of fear as I saw realization colour her eyes. "I see."

"Do you?" I asked, wondering painfully what she had put together in her mind.

"Your dangerous?" She asked. I could hear her pulse quicken, another ironic situation. I leaned backwards, trying to escape the sound of what my mouth longed for and what my heart and head rejected. "But not bad," she continued. "No, I don't believe that you're bad." She was wrong. I was bad, I was creature from hell sent to kill and reap the human world of all that was good. I nearly turned my face away from hers in shame.

"You're wrong." I whispered. I looked down took the bottle cap from her lemonade, spinning it in between my fingers. The silence that followed was too long to be considered normal or comfortable. Suddenly, Bella jumped up.

"We're going to be late."

"I'm not going to class today," I explained, still twirling the bottle cap, unable to look into her eyes.

"Why not?" She demanded.

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then." I put on a smile while my thoughts were troubled. I have blood to complete the experiment with, I added in my head. I vaguely wondered what would come out of my skin, if the needle could cut through it, if the humans wouldn't run a scream when the needle snapped in half.

"Well I'm going," she looked at me defiantly but her eyes were undecided. I wanted to beg her to stay, so I could talk with her and listen to her wonderful voice, but her scent was almost overwhelming me already, I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. I concentrated very hard on the little cap spinning in between my fingers.

"I'll see you later, then." I could see her hesitantly turn around and headed out of the cafeteria.

* * *

_If you hated it, i'm sorry, i'm having some writting issues (i can't write...so it's a rather big one...)  
Tell me what i should improve, i will try to listen  
and the next update shall be your Christmas present so check on the 25th_

_Hayley  
(R&R)_


	6. Blood Test Part 2

_Sorry about the late Christmas Prezzie ( I still had about a page and half to finish and my family was at my house at like 9...in the morning. I had no time to write it. Again, i apologize for Edward and his Male PMS, there seems to be little i can do about his raging horomones around Bella. Which is a good thing. Unless you like Jacob. In which case, get out. _

**_Once again, i own nothing. Nothing at all. It was a sad day when i realized i was not Stephanie Meyer. My parents almost threatened to send me to a shrink. Which is unfortunate. But the dialouge, the characters and the plot all belong to the person i wish i was, Stephanie Meyer. _**

_As per requested, i shall not put myself down anymore. Or i shall try my hardest. And i will work on spelling. _

**I am looking for a Beta. I don't know what this is but i assume it has something to do with editing. If you know a beta/are one that can help me with my terrible spelling and grammar, send me a message. I would greatly appreciate any help making my story better.**

**Hayley**

* * *

I took a deep breath in to clear my head of her scent only to catch lingering waves of her aroma. I cherished the smell before realizing how thirsty it made me. I got up quickly and walked to the opposite door Bella went out of – as if distance would make her any safer.

I headed out to the parking lot, glancing up at the dark gray skies. It was a good thing Forks was so cloudy, but sometimes, I longed to feel the warmth of the sun on my cold granite skin. I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets before walking to my car.

I climbed into the driver's side and relaxed in the leather chair. I flipped on my CD player and Dean Martin's soothing voice washed over me. I leaned back in the chair with my eyes closed and tried to drown my stress in the music.

_What do I do! She looks like she's going to…oh no, is she unconscious!?_

I opened my eyes and turned off the music. Mike's 'voice' seemed very close and very panicked. I glanced in the rear view mirror to see Bella laying down on the damp sidewalk and Mike standing beside her. 'What did that foul boy do to her?' I thought, 'she looks so pale, it's like she's…"

I quickly exited my car and ran over to them, automatically fearing the worst.

"Wow, you're green Bella." Mike said, still standing over her. It took all I had not to jump on him and tear him limb from limb there. 'Calm,' I told myself. He's talking to her, why would he talk to a corpse?' I couldn't help my hand clench into fists.

"Bella?" I called, pleading her to answer. I ran and stood over her, opposite to Mike. "What's wrong – is she hurt?" I tried to keep the distress out of my voice unsuccessfully.

"I think she's fainted. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger." Mike explained quickly. I leaned down and put my mouth to her ear.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" I could hear her heart beating at a steady pace, which relieved me, but her face was as white as mine.

"No," she groaned. "Go away."

I laughed at her aversion to me seeing her like this. I was about to pick her up when Mike interrupted my thoughts.

"I was taking her to the nurse, but she wouldn't go any father." _I wasn't just going to leave her like this, how dumb does he think I am? What a dick, thinks he's a freaking superhero, swooping in to save the day..._

"I'll take her," I said, smiling at Mike's inner voice. "You can go back to class." I knew it would only push him further, but it was so much fun taunting him like this.

"No," he protested. "I'm supposed to do it." _Jesus Cullen, let me be the superhero for once. I can't stand him!_ I merely grinned and picked Bella up off the damp concrete. I turned away from Mike's astonished face and began to walk towards the nurse's office, cradling Bella in my arms.

"Put me down!" Bella cried in weak protest. It only made my smile widen.

"Hey!" Mike called. _I HATE that guy._ I smiled and looked down at the frustrated angel in my arms, ignoring Mike's protest.

"You look awful," I told her, trying to keep her from fainting again.

"Put me back on the sidewalk," she groaned. I ignored the request.

"So you faint at the site of blood?" I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the irony. She closed her eyes, seemingly annoyed. I pressed on. "And not even your own blood." I took a deep breath to suppress the laughter. Stupid idea.

The closeness of her body and the smell of her scent nearly made my knees buckle. I fought my instincts and conjured Carlisle's face into my mind; reminding me who I would let down if I gave into my demons. I held my breath until we got to the nurse's office, blocking off my sense of smell. I walked up to the door, perplexed about how I would open it with Bella in my arms.

'She's half unconscious, she wouldn't know…' I thought. Using my real speed, I let go of Bella with one hand and opened the door before quickly returning the arm to support her. She didn't even realized what happened.

"Oh my," Ms. Cope exclaimed. _What I wouldn't give to be in her place…he's too young, he's too young, too young…_

"She fainted in Biology," I explained, silently willing those thoughts to be expelled from her mind. Ms. Cope ran to open the door to the nurse's office. I carried Bella to the bed as the nurse looked up from a trashy romance novel. I placed Bella on the bed and moved to the farthest wall away from her. I took a deep breath and looked at her, excited.

"She's just a little faint." I explained to the nurse who was bustling around looking for a thermometer. "They're blood typing in Biology." She immediately stopped and nodded.

"There's always one." I stifled a laugh. She turned her attention back to Bella. "Just lie down for a minute, honey; it'll pass."

"I know," Bella sighed. I took another breath to find the air in the small room was already tainted with Bella's powerful scent. I concentrated hard on the smell of the nurse, trying to block out the delicious aroma that was rolling off Bella's skin.

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked.

"Sometimes." I faked a cough to hide another snicker. That seemed to bring the nurses attention back to me.

"You can go back to class now." She told me. _You're probably just distracting her anyway. Ah, if I was young again._

"I'm supposed to stay with her." I said in an authoritative tone that came with many years of practice. The nurse tightened her lips but didn't protest.

"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear." The nurse told Bella as she walked out of the room. Bella shut her eyes and leaned farther into the bed.

"You were right," she groaned.

"I usually am – but what in particular this time?" I asked, confused.

"Ditching _is _healthy." She took several deep breaths, blowing her astonishing fragrance around the room, making my head spin. I composed myself, concentrating of Carlisle's face in my mind.

"You scared me for a minute there," I admitted after I had grasped control. It was stupid to assume the worst, I thought as I reflected on my split second assessment. But she had looked so pale… "I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods." I admitted sheepishly. I felt my petrified heart lurch as I conjured up her actual dead body in my mind. I pushed the image to the farthest corner of my consciousness.

"Ha ha." She said lifelessly, her eyes still closed. The normal flush of her cheeks was beginning to creep up her neck as the nausea passed.

"Honestly – I've seen corpses with better colour." I shuddered as a memory of my dark past came flashing into my head. "I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder."

"Poor Mike. I'll bet he's mad."

"He absolutely loathes me," I said happily, remembering his thoughts of me as I carried Bella away from him.

"You can't know that," she contended.

"I saw his face – I could tell." I hated lying. I just wished I could tell her everything, how I could tell her I could read his thoughts and that I was a…vampire. How crazy would she think me?

"How did you see me?" She asked suddenly. "I thought you were ditching." She eyed me suspiciously before closing her eyes again.

I opted for the truth. "I was in my car, listening to a CD." It was a normal enough answer, nothing strange about it. I could see the surprise in her wide eyes. The nurse walked in the door with an icepack. Bella turned her attention towards the elderly woman walking towards her.

"Here you go, dear." She said as she laid the cold compress across her forehead. "You're looking better." I noticed that Bella's complexion was almost back to normal.

"I think I'm fine," she said, sitting up. The nurse walked over in an attempt to make her lie down when Ms. Cope's head popped in the doorframe.

"We've got another one." She said. Bella jumped semi-gracefully off the bed to let the next student lay down. I went to her side in case she fainted again.

"Here, I don't need this." She said as she pushed the cold compress into the nurses' hands. I smiled, my Bella, always thinking of others. I quickly redacted the 'my' in front of Bella's name in my last thought.

Mike walked into the room with a pale looking boy clinging to his side. I went as close to the wall as possible, Bella by my side, to let them pass. As they passed, I smelt the strong fragrance of blood coming from both of them.

"Oh, no." I said. "Go out to the office, Bella." I didn't want her to faint again but I also didn't want her to be anywhere near me if I lost control. Even after all these years, the smell of blood was so tempting I could barely stand it.

She looked up at me, bemused before realization flickered behind her eyes.

"Trust me – go." Before I even finished, she spun on her heel and fled out of the room. I tested my limits to see if it was safe before following Bella out of the room.

"You actually listened to me." I said, surprised.

"I smelled the blood," she said, wrinkling her nose at the thought of it.

"People can't smell blood." I said, that was just about the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. I only smelt it because my sense of smell was a hundred times better than hers.

"Well, I can – that's what makes me sick. I smells like rust…and salt." She explained. I started at her, incredulity painting my face. That was the exact smell of blood, minus the pull and attraction that I felt because of what I was. I stared at the amazing creature that stood before me.

"What?"

"It's nothing."

I opened my mouth to say something else but Mike came through the door and glared at me.

_Jackass. Thinks that he's amazing just because he could carry her off to 'save her'. Bet she think's he's just as much of a creep as I do...I hope she does. _

"_You_ look better." He said to Bella, grudgingly, turning his face away from me.

"Just keep your hands in your pockets." A smile flitted across my face before I casually walked towards the counter and leaned against it, not wanting to become an unwilling participant in the conversation.

"I'm not bleeding anymore." He mumbled. A quick sniff confirmed that the blood in his finger had clotted. "Are you going back to class?" I could sense the hope in his voice.

"Are you kidding? I'd just have to turn around and come back."

"Yeah, I guess…. So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" I felt Mike's furious glare upon my face once more. _That's right Cullen, her and I have a date. See how you like that. _I felt my jaw tighten unwillingly at the word date but I continued with my façade of staring into space.

"Sure, I said I was in." The hesitation was plain in her voice and my jaw loosened.

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." Mike's eyes once again flickered towards me. _And you're not invited Cullen, so don't even think about coming…_

"I'll be there."

"I'll see you in Gym, then." He said, walking away. I started to silently move towards Bella.

"See you," she said. Mike looked back to see me standing next to Bella. He gave me a sour look. I smirked in return. _I hate that guy…_ I gave him a condescending wave as he left, scowling.

"Gym," I heard Bella moan beside me. I looked down to see Bella's dread clearly showing on her stunning face. The expression looked out of place as it contorted her lips into a scowl. Wanting to put the smile that I loved so much back upon her face, I decided to pull a few strings.

"I can take care of that. Go sit down and look pale." I smiled at the last part. Bella was already so pale that she was close to the chalky colour of my skin. The chair squeaked as she silently obeyed and sat down in the waiting area. She placed her head against the wall with a dull thud and closed her eyes. I turned and walked over to Ms. Cope, who was eyeing me appreciatively.

I winced at the thoughts floating around in her mind as she flickered between undressing me and telling herself I was too young and she was too old. I put on my best smile and walked up to the counter.

"Ms. Cope?" I asked, turning the seductive tone in my voice on. It worked with humans most of the time so I could get what I wanted.

"Yes?" She asked me, chewing on a pencil. Trying a little too hard to be alluring. I ignored it again and continued, knowing full well that what ever I asked her, I would get.

"Bella has Gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse to from class?" I stared into her eyes as she turned to jell-o in front of me. I gave a small smile of satisfaction which quickly turned to disgust.

"Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?" I could hear her heart flutter as she said my name. I tried to keep the abhorrence out of my expression.

"No, I have Mrs. Goff, she won't mind." Because she also has a crush on me, I thought bitterly. She was older than Ms. Cope and had grandchildren.

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better Bella." _I know I would with him playing doctor._ I overlooked the rest of her thoughts as they turned towards her fantasies involving surgeons and nurses. I turned back to Bella who really did look frail enough to faint again.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" I put as much sarcasm as I could into my voice but behind it, there was a tone of seriousness. I wouldn't have minded carrying her in my arms again.

"I'll walk." I nodded as she stood up. I walked over to the door and held it open for her. She walked out and turned her face up to the rain, washing off the perspiration that had gathered on her forehead thanks to her recent swoon.

"Thanks." She said. I closed to door behind me and looked around the parking lot, trying to locate my car in the mist. "It's almost worth getting sick to miss Gym."

"Anytime." I found my car and walked forward. I Bella began to follow beside me, much closer than expected. I sniffed the air. She smelt amazing in the rain. I wanted to lean closer, to absorb every bit of the smell that emitted from her skin, but I restrained and looked forward, not wanted to push my limits any more that I already had this day.

"So, are you going? This Saturday, I mean?" I wanted more than anything to go with her, but it might have been difficult to explain why I glittered in the sun. I didn't want to turn her down completely. Instead I sidestepped her question.

"Where are you all going, exactly?" I asked, not looking at her face.

"Down to La Push, to First Beach." She said.

I kept my face composed but couldn't keep the hate from my eyes. The Quileutes had made a treaty with my and Carlisle so many years ago. As long as we stayed off their land and didn't kill humans, they wouldn't kill us. The land was very well protected by their 'pack' of soldiers. The werewolves. I shuddered inwardly at even the thought of them.

I smiled at her cynically, my mind racing to think up an excuse. "I really don't think I was invited." My mind lingered on Mike's thoughts in the office. I defiantly wasn't invited.

She sighed, giving me more reason to keep my head forward and away from her face. "I just invited you."

"Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. We don't want him to snap." Actually, that is exactly what I wanted. I loved to taunt and annoy him, especially since he planned to ask Bella to the dance and I had to witness his horrid fantasies.

"Mike-shmike." She said, clearly disappointed in my answer. When we reached the parking lot, she veered left, catching me once again, off guard.

"Where do you think your going?" I had grabbed a handful of her jacket to stop her from moving any closer to the death trap she called a truck.

"I'm going home."

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you home safely? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" With her luck she would pass out behind the wheel and crash into a tree…or a building…or another person.

"What condition? And what about my truck?" She complained. I started to pull her towards my Volvo and away from her 'truck'.

"I'll have Alice drop it off after school." She stumbled a little, obviously having as much trouble walking backwards as she did walking forwards. Alice was going to be angry, having to drive that thing. Or maybe she already knew. You never could really tell with Alice.

"Let go!" She demanded. I ignored her and continued to drag her towards my car. I finally let go when we got there. I walked around the back of the car as she fell into the passenger side door. I suppressed a chuckle, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it.

"You are so _pushy_!" she said, crossing her arms.

"It's open," I told her before getting into the drivers side of the car.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving myself home!" Even though my door was shut, I could still hear her perfectly. The rain started to fall harder as she just stood out side the door. I rolled my eyes and lowered the window. I leaned across the seat to see her face. "Get in, Bella." She didn't reply, obviously calculating an escape plan. "I'll just drag you back." I warned.

She gave a loud sigh of defeat and climbed into my car, soaking wet. I tried not to think about what all that water would do to the leather. My eyes went from the leather seats to the jeans that were now tight against her body thanks to the water. My eyes moved quickly to her shirt that was also clinging to her torso. Trying not to linger, my eyes settled on her beautiful scowling face. I looked away to remember what I was doing. I saw an involuntary shiver run through her arms and goose bumps form on her hands. I turned the heater on higher to warm her up and turned the music down.

I pulled out of the parking lot smoothly, trying to not let her presence and her aroma affect anything. She was sulking, trying to ignore me but her head turned as the wonderful spark of recognition flickered through her eyes.

"Clair de Lune?" Surprise coloured her voice.

"You know Debussy?" I asked, also surprised. Most teenagers these days listened to the banging of pots and pans that claimed to be music. I didn't know that they listened to classical music.

"Not well. My mother plays a lot of classical music around the house – I only know my favorites." I smiled at her honesty.

"It's one of my favorites, too." I stared out the window, silently thanking whatever god or deity that was out there for the amazing, beautiful, soaking wet girl sitting right next to me.

Bella eventually grew more comfortable in my presence, something that both terrified me and made my lifeless heart lurch in exuberance. She relaxed into the leather chair and thought deeply, or listened to the music. I felt a pang of annoyance once again due to the fact that I couldn't see her thoughts. I started to wonder about her father and how her life was before she came to Forks…before she met me and I put her life in peril just by sitting next to her.

"What is your mother like?" I asked suddenly. I had an urge to know her, to know her family and her secrets. I just wanted to…be a part of her. She looked over into my eyes, studying me warily.

"She looks a lot like me, but she's prettier." I raised my eyebrows, finding that hard to believe. She ignored me and continued. "I have too much Charlie in me. She's more outgoing than I am, and braver. She's irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she's a very unpredictable cook. She's my best friend." By the end of her speech, her voice was sad, filled with longing that was way beyond her years. In that moment, she seemed more like the 106 year old and I was the…how old was she? I wanted to end her pain and suffering in her voice, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"How old are you, Bella?" I stopped the car in front of her house, hoping she wouldn't ask me how I knew exactly where she lived.

"I'm seventeen."

"You don't seem seventeen," I told her truthfully. She seemed much older, wise beyond her years. I wanted to know what tragedy in her life had caused her to grow up so fast, but it seemed to forward to ask to someone you just became friends with. To my surprise, she started to laugh.

"What?"

"My mom always says I was born thirty-five years old and that I get more middle-aged every year." She continued laughing before sighing with a hint of resentment. "Well someone has to be the adult." She paused before turning to me. "Yu don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself."

I rolled my eyes, hiding my concern for my secret. Was it really that easy to guess?

"So why did your mother marry Phil?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.

Surprise flicked through her eyes before she answered. "My mother…she's very young for her age." I could tell she was trying to choose the right words by the carefulness of her tone. "I think Phil makes her feel even younger. At any rate she's crazy about him." She shook her head.

"Do you approve?" It was an honest question, but she seemed confused.

"Does it matter? I want her to be happy…and he is who she wants."

"That's very generous…I wonder," I pondered if her mother would care if she would go out with someone dangerous, more dangerous than any human on the Earth.

"What?" She gave me a funny look.

"Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? Not matter who your choice was?" Even if it was one of the eternal damned? I added in my head. I looked straight into her eyes, searching for even a spark of feeling. I heard her heart pick up a bit, but not enough to confirm anything.

"I-I think so. But she's the parent, after all, it's a little bit different."

The conversation was quickly spiraling down to darker topics. "No one too scary then," I said to lighten to mood. It worked and my favorite smile came over her face

"What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial piercing and extensive tattoos?" She asked. I was thinking more along the lines of dead… I thought.

"That's one definition, I suppose."

"What's your definition?"

I ignored her, not wanting to tell her any gory details of my life. I wanted to ask something so badly…it just slipped out. "Do you think that _I_ could be scary?" I smiled a little as she thought it over.

"Hmmm…I think you _could _be, if you wanted to."

My smile disappeared. "Are you frightened of me now?" I wanted more than anything for her to say no, but I knew if she said yes, she would be much safer.

"No," she answered a little too quickly. I smiled at her honesty again and at the fact that she was a little bit safer from me.

"So, now are you going to tell me about your family? It's got to be a much more interesting story than mine."

I instantly guarded my expression, willing myself not to give too much away. "What do you want to know?"

"The Cullen's adopted you?"

"Yes." I let out a tiny breath of relief. Bella was too absorbed in her thoughts to hear it. She paused

"What happened to your parents?"

The truth was that I didn't remember my parents. I knew my mother's name was Elizabeth and my father's was Edward. They both died of the Spanish influenza in 1918 and I would have also died if it weren't for my adopted father. Everything I knew about my parents, Carlisle had told me. "They died many years ago." I really didn't want to go into any details.

"I'm sorry." She said, looking truly sincere.

"I don't really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now." I told her, not wanting her to be sad over people I didn't even know.

"And you love them," she stated.

I smiled. "Yes. I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're very lucky."

"I know I am."

"And your brother and sister?"

I quickly looked at the time on the dash, checking to see how long this was taking. Half of me hoped that I still had hours, the other half knew it would be safer if I had to go. I really hated that one half. School was going to be out in about 15 minutes. I knew how Rosalie would react to it, if I were late. Especially if I was late because of Bella.

"My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me." Well, it was a half-truth.

"Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go." She sounded as disappointed as I felt.

"And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don't have to tell him about the Biology incident." I grinned at the memory of carrying her in my arms.

"I'm sure he's already heard," she sighed. "There are no secrets in this town."

Except one… I thought as I laughed. "Have fun at the beach…Good weather for sun-bathing." Although I secretly knew that Bella would probably burn rather than tan. Or not get any colour at all.

"Won't I see you tomorrow?" She asked hopefully.

"No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early." Sitting in a car with tinted windows, driving to a remote place to terrorize the local wildlife. Some weekend.

"What are you going to do?" She asked. It was hard to miss the disappointment in her voice.

"We're going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier."

"Oh, well, have fun." A smile danced on the corners of my mouth at her attempt to cover up her displeasure. She seemed genuinely displeased with not seeing me tomorrow. I tried not to read too much into it but despite myself I was excited for Monday.

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" I had suddenly thought of Bella's soon to be proximity to the ocean and I was a little bit frightened for her life. There were many things that could happen with wildlife, and undertows…and Mike Newton. I suppressed a shudder of disgust. I turned my attention back to her as she was nodding, hypnotized by my eyes.

"Don't be offended, but you seen to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So…try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?" I smiled and heard her heartbeat quicken but behind my eyes I was serious. She glared at me, obviously offended.

"I'll see what I can do," she slammed the door in a hurry and ran up her drive way. I just smiled wildly as I saw her walk to her door.

There was no doubt about it. I was in love.

* * *

_I love Edward. i'm trying to stay in character as much as possible but he's just so much fun to play around with (hehe, ooer.) Please tell me if i'm getting too OCC  
and as a christmas present to me, please review._

_(oh, and if you celebrate any other holiday's, Happy Holidays, from me to you)_

**Hayley**


	7. Scary Stories

_Hello everyone, here is my newest update. I know, i'm getting faster. But the next one won't be in for another bagillion years because i am working up until sunday. I know, my life is poo. BUT yours isn't because here is the best chapter i think i have written yet. It makes me happy. Even though Bella isn't in it. Unless you count Edward thinking and talking about her every minute of the day. Which i do. so ignore what i just said...typed...wrote...ignore me._

_Oh! i'm also currently communicating with a Beta, so this will probably be the last chapter that is so horribly mangled with grammar and spelling errors. Just try to push through it. For my sake. And sanity._

**_I don't own anything to do with Twilight. Stephanie Meyer owns everything. Including my soul. And the characters and plot. BUT not the dialouge in this one. All the OCC-ness is mine. bahahahah. my life is sad :(_**

_Ah, music, the joy of my exsistance. For this: Listen to **Speeding Cars** by Imogen Heap_. _Again the emo angstyness about not wanting to grow up really fits. Or at least i make it fit. (ahah, that reminds me of doing jig-saws when i was young and hammering the peices into place when they wouldn't fit.) Now on with the story!_

As always, _Hayley._

* * *

I shook my head, trying to clear it of Bella's natural perfume that filled the car but it was difficult. I was become more and more accustomed to her scent so much that I could almost smell it without wanting to jump up and attack her. I opened a window, hoping that the fresh air would help. The cool air rushed over my face, filled with the smells of the wildlife that filled the forest I was rushing past. I was tempted to stop and follow the scent of a bear that had crossed my nose, but I told myself that I was going hunting with Emmett that weekend. I would get plenty of grizzlies up on Goat Rocks.

I was driving as fast as possible to get back to school. Of course Alice would know where I had been for the last two periods and that meant by extension Jasper would as well but with luck, and breaking the speed limit, Rosalie wouldn't have to know. I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal a little harder at the thought of Rosalie's reaction. Even her thoughts hadn't told me what was so wrong that made her hate Bella. Time. That's all they would need. Time. I kept thinking that as my knuckles turned whiter as my hands clenched the steering wheel.

Luck wasn't on my side this time. When I pulled into the parking lot everyone was waiting for me under the small shelter the roof provided. Rosalie had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot impatiently with Emmett's arms around her. He was whispering soothing words into her ear, trying to calm her down before she faced me. Jasper had an annoyed expression on his face but was holding hands with Alice who didn't seem fazed.

I pulled up to the curb to let them in. I gave Rosalie a weak smile in response to the fiery glare she gave me. Alice took the front seat, obviously attempting to keep Emmett and Rosalie together in case he needed to restrain her. Jasper wouldn't look at me through the soaking hair sticking to his forehead.

"Sorry I'm late," I said weakly. Rosalie's eyes stared daggers into my back as she opened her mouth to speak. Alice cut her off.

"That's okay. I'm sure it was important." She said, already knowing the exact reason why I was late. _Bella is important. Don't try and tell yourself otherwise._ I nodded and started the car; glad that Alice's comment seemed to shut everyone up. For a little while at least.

Rosalie sunk further back into her seat with her head resting on Emmett's big shoulder, furious thoughts raging around in her mind. I attempted to block them out but she seemed to be directing them right towards me, shouting them in my mind's ear. I grimaced at language that Esme would have scolded her for using. Instead of listening, I concentrated very hard on the dark road ahead of me, going almost twice as fast as the speed limit. I was extremely excited to get home where I would at least have some backup for Rosalie's assault. I silently begged that Carlisle was home and not working extra hours at the hospital.

The sky was dark with storm clouds when we finally pulled up to the house. I parked next to Carlisle's Mercedes in the garage, thankful he was home. Rosalie jumped out and slammed the door before I had even put the car in park. Emmett eyed me warily before following his wife into the house followed closely by Jasper. I looked at Alice, my eyes knowingly filled with guilt.

_It's not your fault. You did the right thing; you couldn't just leave her there. _

I nodded miserably. "She just…she looked so helpless." I tried to convey the emotions and turmoil I was feeling through my expression. Alice seemed to get it.

"I know you feel guilty about letting this girl…Bella, into your life without our…" she paused, looking for the right word, "_permission_ but you shouldn't. You aren't being selfish, you like her and you are doing something about it. That shouldn't constitute our family being angry or you beating yourself up over it."

I took a deep breath and smiled in thanks. We had a weird bond, but she seemed to be the person I was closest to, even if I had known her for less time then anyone else.

"Thank you, Alice. But I am still worried about Rosalie…"

"Don't. She has no right to talk anyway. She brought Emmett into the family without anyone's permission so she has no right to talk. Besides, The family will get over it…eventually." She tapped the side of her head and gave me a knowing wink. "Esme, Carlisle and I are already on your side and Emmett and Jasper aren't far behind. Rosalie will calm down. Just give it time." She put her hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me before exiting gracefully thought the door.

I sat in the car for several seconds, thinking about how I would start the conversation with my family. Well, more like argument.

_EDWARD, WE ARE WAITING!_

I winced as Rosalie's 'voice' pierced my head. I could just imagine her tapping her foot, arms crossed, standing in the front hall. I sighed and got out of the car, defeated.

At first I tried to walk to the house at a normal speed, but Rosalie's 'voice' kept screaming at me to hurry up. Eventually my anger flared and I ran into the house, nearly taking the door off its hinges as I slammed it.

"What, Rosalie?" I kept my jaw squared and teeth clenched, trying to keep my temper from blazing. Rosalie glared at me.

"I want an explanation." Her eyes scrutinized mine, searching for weakness. "We want an explanation," she corrected herself. Her voice was just as controlled as mine, but her thoughts of tearing me apart gave her away.

"Who is we?" I asked coolly, trying to call her bluff.

"All of us. Don't we deserve to know _why _we had to wait in the freezing rain? Don't we deserve to know why some little stupid _human_ girl has come before your family on your list of priorities?" She was shouting by the end, alerting the others that it was time to control the situation. Rosalie didn't move as Alice brushed past her, walking to my side of the hall.

_She's glowering at me, isn't she?_

I gave Alice a quick nod, confirming her suspicions. She just rolled her eyes before turning to face Rosalie. Emmett and Jasper were in no-mans land between us, obviously ready to restrain us in case a fight broke out. Carlisle and Esme stood next to them, looking nervously at the two of us.

"She…she's not. She fainted in Biology. She just needed a ride home." I suddenly felt extremely worn out. I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to…_sleep_. I wanted to curl up in a ball on a bed and feel the escape that drifting into your subconscious provided.

"And how would you know she fainted? You weren't supposed to be in Biology." She hissed at me. I looked over to Jasper and Emmett for help but they held a curious look in their eyes as well.

"I was in my car. I… I heard Newton thinking about her, and I saw her lying on the sidewalk. I…I thought she was…dead." I closed my eyes at the thought of it, remembering the mental picture I had conjured up earlier that day.

"And what is that to you?" She hissed again. I was about to answer when Alice interrupted me.

"No, Rosalie. What is it to you?" Her eyes flashed in anger. "So you had to wait in the rain? Your hair will survive. Edward obviously _feels_ something for this girl and it is none of your business what he does about it. You have Emmett, I have Jasper, and Carlisle has Esme. Who does Edward have, Rosalie?" I felt pangs of loneliness as she pointed out what I already knew. Was it that obvious, that I felt so alone? "Can't you let anyone else be happy without being so selfish?"

A snarl ripped from Rosalie's throat. "What do you have…?" She began.

"Rosalie…I think that you should just…Calm down." Emmett told her, going over to her side and putting his hand around her waist. "Alice is right." He said, staring down at her. She looked into his eyes in disgust, which quickly turned to fury.

"You're taking _his_ side?" She snarled quietly, eyes closed.

"Rosalie, I'm not taking anyone's side," he explained quietly, refusing to let go of her waist as she struggled a little to get free. "Edward need to figure this out for himself. Without criticism from us."

"Fine." She was about to run up the stairs when wave after wave of calm floated over all of us. Rosalie relaxed her stance involuntarily. I looked over at Jasper, thanking him with my eyes. He nodded in return. Esme stepped forward, between Rosalie and I.

"Edward. What are you planning to do? I ask only because I don't want to see you or this gir…Bella, get hurt." Rosalie began to protest before a look from Carlisle silenced her.

"I don't know. I want…I want so badly to…be near her." I said, embarrassed for having to admit this to my entire family. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper straining with the emotional overload. I scolded myself inwardly and got control of my emotions. "I do like her, but I know I can't betray this family. But I think…" I stopped and cast my eyes down at my feet. I felt Alice's hand on my shoulder.

"You love her." She finished my thoughts. I nodded and looked up at everyone staring at me in the room. Alice, Jasper and Emmett looked at me, unsurprised. Rosalie refused to meet my eyes and Carlisle just nodded. Esme stared at me in amazement.

Suddenly a wide grin broke out over her face. She took me into her arms in a motherly embrace. If she could have cried, she would have.

"Finally. I've been so worried about you," she said into my ear. She pulled back, her face suddenly a bit more stern. "What are you going to do?"

"I've been feeding more, so I don't hurt her accidentally." I said, confused by the question. I started to continue before Esme's tinkling laugh cut me off. I stared at her in confusion. I had realized that Rosalie had left the room, upset with me. Jasper was also missing, probably trying to escape from the rush of emotions coming from me.

"I mean how are you going to…court her?" She asked, using terms I would understand. My eyes widened in realization. I would have been red had I any blood in my body.

" I-I…I don't know." I spluttered. Emmett was suppressing laughter. I glared at him. "How should I…court…her?" I asked, struggling with that one word. She laughed again, this time it was coupled with Emmett's booming laughter.

"You ask her on a date," she snorted. "You should be able to figure it out from there." She gave me one last hug before leaving the room, eyeing Carlisle meaningfully. Emmett was still there, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he leaned against the wall. Alice was still beside me, her eyes sparking with excitement, or she was evilly planning something. Probably our wedding, I thought cynically. She looked up at me, smiled and skipped off, probably trying to find Jasper and comfort him from his latest emotional battle.

Carlisle began to approach me, a cautious look in his eyes. I sighed, I knew what was coming and I didn't even have to look in his thoughts.

"Edward," he began, "are you sure that it is safe enough for Bella. You don't have full control over your thirst with normal humans, and if her blood is a strong as you say it is…" he trailed off, leaving the rest to imagination. _She could be in danger._

My brow furrowed. I knew the risks, or I thought I did. "I'll be careful." I promised, determined. Carlisle gave me another look of concern before glancing over at Emmett. _We'll talk when you get back._ I realized it wasn't an option. I nodded my head in defeat. He gave me another look of concern before turning his back to me and walking up the stairs.

Emmett crossed the hall in two strides and slapped me on the back. I smiled up at him wryly. "So, you ready for this trip?" I asked. He laughed in return.

"I've already packed up the car," he grinned. I couldn't help but smile back at his eagerness. He ran out to the car and got into the driver's seat of his monstrous Jeep. I quickly got into the passenger seat and buckled up. I may be a vampire and therefore indestructible, but getting launched though a windshield is not fun.

It wasn't long before we were out of Forks and on the long ride to Goat Rocks Wilderness. We had been sitting in silence for the good part of the drive and it was starting to make me uncomfortable.

"Just say it Emmett." I said, finally irritated.

"Say what?"

"What you think of me."

"You're insane," he said matter-of-factly. I sighed and nodded.

"I guess I deserve that."

"Edward…Think about it. This girl…" I shot him a glare. "Fine, Bella, her scent was so strong for you, it ran you out of the state. And now you're talking about dating her. You do realize that involves touching? Hand holding…Kissing…S…"

"Yes, Yes, I know!" I said, really unwilling for him to finish that thought. He huffed at my sensitivity.

"All I'm saying is this is going to be incredibly difficult for you. But if she…sorry…Bella, is worth it, then go for it. I haven't seen you happy in a long time, bro."

"Thanks Emmett." I smiled at him, thinking about what he said. "Has this ever happened to you?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"What? The love. Have you met Rose?" He asked me playfully. I grinned; sometimes he could be very obtuse.

"No, Emmett. The…attraction of someone's blood." I saw Emmett shift uncomfortably.

"Yes. Twice." He answered reluctantly.

"And…?" I asked. I saw his expression and my face fell. "You fed on them, didn't you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. It was a long time ago. I was only a couple years old and I couldn't resist. The first one, he just smelt above average and I was very young. I couldn't stop myself and by the time I realized it was wrong, he was dead."

"And the second one?"

He smiled grimly. "Her scent made my head spin. I was older then, but not as experienced as I am now. Again, I couldn't help myself. I lured her away from her family. It was the sweetest blood I had ever tasted." He added, angry with himself.

"Her family?" I asked sharply. He looked at me, his eyes overflowing with sorrow.

_Sh-She was only nine…I couldn't help it. It's our nature Edward. _

I nodded, accepting this. I had a worse track record than Emmett would ever have. Ten years of feeding on humans, and I remembered ever scream.

We drove the rest of the night, making it to our campsite just as the sun was peaking through the few clouds that still covered the sky. The storm from the day before had blown over granting us with a clear weekend. It was the reason why Emmett and I had chosen this weekend to get away; otherwise we would have been inside all day.

Emmett looked over at me and grinned, his eyes dark with hunger and anticipation. He parked the jeep at the beginning of the trail and jumped out of the car, bursting with excitement. Grizzlies were Emmett's favorite and he couldn't wait to get his hands on them. I suspected it had something to do with the way he had almost been killed but Emmett had always blocked that part of his thoughts from me and I felt no need to intrude on his privacy.

I jumped out of the jeep as well and headed to the back to get our bags. They weren't filled with food like most hikers packs were, but with clothes and books (well, books for me). We wouldn't have brought any equipment but on the off chance that a camper did run into us, we wanted our ruse to be as convincing as possible. Emmett grabbed the tent and sleeping bag pack out of the trunk with one hand.

"Lets get going," he said with a grin the size of his face. I smiled in return and nodded, eager to let the fresh air clear my head of the thoughts floating around in it.

We started up the long trail, making sure we were out of site of the trail head, filled with other cars, before we went off the path deep into the forest.

"Ready?" He asked, loading up all the packs on his back. Together they probably weighed over seventy pounds, but he probably didn't feel a thing.

"Yes." I answered, excited to get running. He glanced over at me before he took off, running at top speed, swerving and winding through the trees. I laughed before quickly following, catching up to him easily.

"Is that all you got?" I asked before putting out another burst of speed, leaving him behind. I heard a growl behind me as he tried to catch up. That just made me laugh harder.

When we finally got to the campsite we would pretend to use, I dumped off the tent pack I had taken from Emmett. He objected at first but I told him I would get there before him so I might as well set up camp while he had to catch up. He had growled when I said that but grudgingly agreed.

I quickly set up the four person green tent in a relatively flat area and sat down on a log to wait for Emmett. It was about ten in the morning on Friday. Only three and a half days till I saw Bella. Only three and a half days to find a way to ask her on a…date.

He emerged out of the forest only seconds later, a puzzled look on his face. He set the packs down carefully – knowing I would kill him if he damaged any of my original books – and sat down next to me. I eyed him carefully, trying to read his thoughts. He wouldn't give up anything useful, just repeating Rosalie over in his mind in an attempt to block me out.

"What is it Emmett?" I asked wearily, knowing I was probably going to regret asking.

"I have a question. But you have to promise not to freak out and pull an Edward."

I glared at him for using my name as an equivalent for 'freaking out' but nodded, agreeing to the terms.

"Okay, say Bella agrees to go on a date with you. You become her boyfriend after a month or so…what are you planning on doing then? Are you just going to dump her when collage comes around?"

I thought carefully about this. I had been thinking the same thing. "That seems like the best option. Of course, if she would beg for me to around for longer, I wouldn't be able to object. I'd be with her as long she wanted."

"Even if she still wanted you when she was old." He asked, eyeing me skeptically.

"Yes." I said. "You don't understand what I feel for her. It's like I need to be around her."

Emmett nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, fair enough. But, say you are around her for that amount of time. How do you think she's going to feel with that…frustration?"

"What frustration?" I asked, confused.

"Edward, if I say this, you can't freak out." He told me in a warning tone.

"Okay." I replied, now cautious.

Edward," he said with a sigh. "She is a teenage girl in the twenty first century, if you are ever her boyfriend, she is going to be expecting sex – something you can't give her. How are you going to explain that?"

I suddenly felt sick. There was a lump in my throat that wouldn't go away. I swallowed. "I haven't worked that out yet."

"I don't want you to get obsessive about it, like you normally do, it was just a question." He said, not wanting to push me any further. I sat in silence for several moments, not trusting my voice. Suddenly, Emmett slapped his knees and jumped up.

"That's it. No more moping. I'm hungry." He said with a fierce grin. I couldn't help but smile back; Emmett always knew how to distract me. I jumped up as well.

"If you find a mountain lion…" I trailed off suggestively. Emmett's laugh filled the entire valley.

"I'll tell you," he grinned. "And if you find a grizzly?"

"You'll be the first to know." He bumped my fist with his and set of in a northern direction. I followed, sniffing the air for anything interesting.

_Hey Edward…guess what I found…?_

I quickly turned to the left and followed my brothers 'voice'. I nearly leapt for joy when I passed him and crossed the scent of the animal whose blood I loved so much. It was only a matter of seconds before I could see the animal, lounging under the shade of a large fir tree. The remains of a deer were sitting, half eaten beside it. I smiled grimly as I set up for the attack.

Crouching low I edged forward, making no sound on the soft leaf laden forest floor. The cougar put it's head up as it sniffed the air, sensing danger. It's too late now, I thought gravely. He leaped to his all fours and went into an attack stance identical to mine. I jumped into the clearing when it was in the midst of the change in position. A feral snarl ripped from its jaw sending all wildlife within hearing distance running. I growled in response, louder and untamed, the puma's eyes shifted around the clearing, looking for a way to escape.

That's when I attacked. I tackled it, sending us both flying into a tree. It's claws scraped at my back ripping my shirt to shreds but leaving my marble skin untouched. The moment its back collided with the tree, I heard a sickening snap as its spine cracked in two. Putting it out of its misery, I bent my head down to the mangled body of the defeated mountain lion. I heard a small whimper coming out of its mouth as my teeth sunk through its skin like butter, releasing the wave of blood into my mouth. I drank greedily, not realizing how thirsty I was, until every last drop was consumed.

I stood up straight and walked away, leaving it'd distorted body behind me. Before I got to the edge of the clearing, I picked up on another scent, another mountain lion. More than one, actually. Three. That was strange; they usually traveled by themselves or with mates. I looked around because the scent was so incredibly strong. My eyes settled on the deer corpse. I walked over to it, hoping I wouldn't find what I expected.

As I approached, three tiny heads poked their way up from the other side. One of the cubs had a scrap of meat in its jaws, looking at me curiously. I felt my stomach wrench then drop. I felt suddenly sick as I looked at the six blue eyes staring at me inquisitively.

_Edward!_ Emmett's mind interrupted my thoughts. _Where are you man? I just got like a twelve foot grizzly! You gotta see this! _

I nodded to no one and started to back away, unable to look away from the blue eyes. My thoughts shifted to Emmett's story about the nine year old in the Jeep. I stopped and went towards them. One of them caught my scent and started to growl pathetically. The others soon followed suit and were all snarling at me. I ignored them and approached the carcass they were using as a shield.

I bent down and stuck my hand out. One of them had stopped snarling long enough to see I meant it no harm. He inched forward and sniffed my hand cautiously. I lifted it carefully and pet his little head. I looked at where the others were but was surprised that I couldn't see them. I peered around the deer but couldn't seem to find them. The other little cougar was having a fun time playing with my finger, unaware that its siblings had just abandoned it. I felt a pang of guilt. Together they might have survived but this little one all on it's own would never live past the weekend.

I made a quick decision and picked it up in my hands and started to speed off towards where Emmett was. The little cat began mewing in fright, I pet it's head to comfort it. I could soon see Emmett standing triumphantly above his prize, the low sun casting shadows over the bear.

He looked up at me when he could sense my presence. "Oh good," he snorted. "You brought a snack."

I glared at him. "I killed its mother and scared the other two off. How could I leave it alone out there?"

"Harsh. But there is a easy answer to your question."

"What?"

"Simple. Walk away." He laughed, I didn't. He glanced over. "So are you going to keep it?"

"No, of course not, don't be ridiculous. I just couldn't leave it." I said, absentmindedly stroking the cats head. I heard a mew of contentment. Emmett snorted.

"So you're going to take care of it for the weekend and then leave it on Sunday?"

I shrugged, ignoring the question. I hadn't decided what I was going to do. "How was your grizzly?"

Emmett's face broke into a genuine smile. "Great. He got me twice, though." He turned around so I could see the ripped clothing. I glanced down at the similar state of mine. We both laughed. The cat looked up, confused.

"So, what are you going to call it?" Emmett approached cautiously, his hand outstretched. The cat hissed when he got too close. He pulled his hand back quickly.

"I'm not going to call it anything. I don't want to get attached." I said, playing with the cat's feet.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that, would we?" He snorted. I glared at him.

"Are you coming back to the camp site or what?" I asked, glancing at the quickly darkening sky.

"No, I'm still hungry. I'll meet you back there in a few hours. We can discuss this…" he waved his hand at the cat, "…situation later." I nodded and watched, as he took off at full speed in the opposite direction. I couldn't help but hear his thoughts of me being a psycho.

I ran to the campsite, my hands still caressing the cat's soft fur, enjoying the warmth that its skin provided. When I got to the tent, it was nearly black and I had brought no flashlight to read with. Even with heightened vampire senses, it would have been too dark to see.

I groaned as I lay down on the sleeping bag, just wanting to relax. The cat curled up on my stomach, mewing contently as my hand ran through its thick fur. I closed my eyes and waited for the never coming sleep.

My thoughts drifted from the cat in my hands to the story that Emmett had told me in the car. Through his thoughts I had seen a perfect, round angelic face with curly blond ringlets surrounding it. The sky blue eyes were wide in shock against the child's face.

Suddenly the curly blond turned a dark brunette and the rounded face became heart shaped. The features aged and the lips grew fuller, chin more prominent. Lastly the shocking blue of the little girls eyes turned to the deep chocolate brown I had come to know. Looking in those eyes I could no longer see Emmett's bloodthirsty face, but my own, starved from desire.

'Bella', I thought painfully.

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_The cougar represents something, i just don't know what yet. I didn't think it was in Edwards nature to leave it behind all on its own. I'm thinking he is sympathizing with the mountain lion, but i could just be crazy...yeah...thats probably it... Anywhoo, Have a happy new years, i probably won't update till after_

_As always R&R  
Hayley_


	8. Nightmare

_Volia! Sooner than expected, the seveth chapter!  
_

_I have named the cat in my mind. This isn't in the chapter / story at all, but I have decided to call it Jack. Partly because it reminds me of my cousin's cat. Although this cougar isn't psycho and try to eat you if you touch it. Seriously, i have scars. And i am truly sorry about what happeneds to Jack so please don't kill me. _

**_I own nothing, Stephanie Meyer owns my soul...etc. Characters, plot etc. are all hers because she is god and therefore owns the world. Well my world at least...aka Twlight._**

_Music! Okay, for this i would recommend Hotel Chelsea Nights by Ryan Adams for the first half and some awesome Fratellis music for the second. May i recomend Henrietta and Chelsea Dagger? (dude, thats weird, like 2 of my fav songs have my sister's name in them...)_

_Hayley_

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My eyes snapped open before my imagination could finish the daydream it was creating. No, not daydream; a daydream would have involved Bella in my arms with no urge to drink her blood. This was a nightmare, and the worst one possible at that.

I looked around the tent quickly, my eyes settling on the cat sleeping on my chest. Its little body was rising and falling with every breath of unneeded air I took into my lungs. Sensing my change in breathing patterns, the cat stretched and dug its claws into my already ruined shirt. It turned its piercing blue eyes to face my ocher ones.

"What?" I asked it. I automatically tried to scan its mind before remembering it was an animal. I stared blankly into its eyes, the blankness reminding me somewhat of Bella's mind. He tilted his head and continued his sharp assault on my eyes. He mewed pathetically, a long whining sound that rang through my head.

"You're hungry." I said, without needed an answer. He turned his eyes away and licked his paw, as if sensing I finally got what he meant. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I got up, taking the little mountain lion with me. I unzipped the tent and walked out into the fresh night air.

The full moon illuminated the campsite, showing every indent of the rocks and casting large shadows from the trees. The only other thing glowing was a large shape sitting on a log near the non-existent fire.

"Emmett." I greeted. He looked over at me and grimaced when he saw the cat.

"Still have your lunch with you, then? Do you need a paper bag to carry it in?" I could hear the black humor and sarcasm dripping greasily from every word. I scowled.

"What do you propose I do with it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"We both know this isn't about the cat," he said darkly.

"Then what is it about?"

"You, Edward, it's about you."

I let out a small breath of air through my teeth. The cat's hair stood on end from the hiss. "What about me?"

"Face it Edward, that cat is you. Or at least you think it is. We might as well call him Little Eddie." I shot him a warning glance. The cat sensed the tension and a little growl erupted from his tiny body. I put a comforting hand on its head. "I'm serious. Its mom is dead and it has no one. It's all alone and you want to protect it, even if it's against your nature." I rolled my eyes, ignoring the truth emitting from his statement.

"Well, _Little Eddie_," I started cynically, "is hungry. I'm going to go find him something to eat."

Emmett snorted and shook his head. _Yep, he's lost it. Crazy as…well me…he's got it bad. _

I shot a glower at Emmett but he wasn't looking, too absorbed in his thoughts of me. I didn't care if this seemed crazy because it also felt right. I didn't feel like arguing so I ran into the woods, cradling the cat in my arms. I could now see Carlisle's strange need to protect things weaker than us and to overcome the obstacle that had been thrown in our path. Humans, this kitten, Bella…they were too innocent to be tainted by our world.

A sudden movement in my arms jolted me from my thoughts. I looked down to see the kitten no longer there, resting between my cold marble body and equally stone-like arms. I stopped and retreated, retracing my steps. I felt a pang of loneliness ring through my cold heart. _One more thing in the world that doesn't want to be near me. _I thought bitterly. I began to walk back to the campsite when I picked up on the little mountain lion's scent.

I couldn't let it go. I had to protect it, I thought fiercely. Against my better judgment, I followed the scent of the lion into a familiar clearing with a large fir tree and a rotting deer's corpse. The smell made me recoil but my eyes settled on the little kitten in the middle of the clearing, sniffing cautiously.

I approached it carefully, not wanting to make it run away again. As I inched closer, it seemed to pick up on the scent it was looking for and he bolted before I could catch him. I looked miserably around the clearing, searching for a trace of the cat, when, to my surprise, I found him.

He was lying next to the cold, mangled body of his mother, nuzzling up to her neck. He seemed frustrated when his mother didn't respond to his touch. He jumped up and grabbed her ear between his teeth, pulling her head down so her eyes could meet his. He let go of the ear slowly as the facts clicked together in his tiny head. He stared at me accusingly. I felt the immense guilt rush over me, threatening to overcome me.

The little cat walked up to me and rubbed his head against my leg, perhaps in sorrow, or was the memory of this little cat so small, he had forgotten the mother that had raised him. I looked down as the rubbing sensation near my foot stopped. I watched the cat walk back over to the mountain lioness' corpse and lay down in between the lifeless paws, waiting for its mother to wake up.

The guilt stabbed through me, puncturing every ounce of my being as I watched the cougar watch its mother's face expectantly, as if any moment it would wake up and everything would be okay. My fists were clenched. 'Anything would be better then that waiting,' I thought, 'Anything.'

Before I knew what I was doing I approached the little mountain lion and it's dead mother. He stared at me again, his blue eyes drilling holes in my head, conveying the sadness it felt. I picked the little baby cat up and stroked his soft fur gently as I lowered my mouth down to its neck.

This time, there was no sound. Not a whimper or cry of pain. The cat merely closed its eyes as I sunk my teeth through its neck and watched it slowly sink into unconsciousness and then death. I wasn't thirsty so I simply took one gulp of the sweet innocent blood before removing my mouth from its jugular. I let out a small sob and put the dead kitten next to its dead mother, in between her protective paws. I turned quickly and composed myself before walking to the edge of the clearing. I glanced back at the dead animals. From there it seemed they were merely sleeping, the baby comforted by its mothers embrace. I looked away as I realized that they would never wake up from that permanent slumber.

I ran as fast as I possibly could, far away from the newly reunited family, back towards the campsite. I stopped on the edge of the forest and composed my face and emotions before facing Emmett. I was simply lucky I wasn't with Jasper.

I walked out of the forest and into the blinding sunlight that was coming up over the hills. Emmett looked up at me and my empty arms, eyeing me suspiciously. The sun danced off his skin, showering the ground in a rainbow light.

"Where's your pet?" He asked, jokingly.

"Dead." I answered, keeping my face smooth. I could see the shock flutter across his face before settling on an amused expression.

"Get hungry?" He lifted an eyebrow, conveying the actual seriousness behind his light tone.

"No, it ran away…to its mother. It would have died anyway. I just figured that…this way…he'll be with someone he loves, instead of being killed and eaten by something else." I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the last thought. Despite myself, I had gotten attached.

Emmett nodded his head, not wanting to pry any further on my motivations. "So, I won't mention this to anyone?" I nodded as a rush of relief flooded me. If Rosalie had ever found out about this I would have never lived it down.

"Thanks," I said, weakly.

Emmett nodded thoughtfully. "You're only human." His booming laughter filled the entire valley, echoing off the surrounding mountains. "So, we still have a day and a half left, what should we do?"

I smiled wryly. "Feel like annoying some grizzlies?"

A big smile broke out over his face. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Not really," I told him, tapping my temple. He laughed and caught me around my middle, laughing as he tackled me to the ground. I groaned as my back hit the hard dirt ground. Of course it didn't hurt, but it did take me by surprise.

"That's for being boring and depressed yesterday. I want happy Edward back, the one who hits the grizzly in the back of the head for me to make him even more aggravated." He was standing over me, his hand extended. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I was thinking about flicking his ears this time" He laughed with me as I took his hand and he pulled me up without effort.

"First one to find one gets ten points?" I asked slyly, already eyeing the forest meaningfully. I knew I had advantage in speed.

"And the first one to get him to stand up on his legs gets twenty." He added. Emmett had the advantage in annoying things to death. I laughed.

"Ready, set…Go." I said, running into the forest, leaving Emmett far behind. I could hear his growl of frustration as he fought to catch up.

You aren't going to win that easily. And I get an extra fifty points for having to put up with you yesterday.

I was about to respond when I picked up the scent of a wonderfully delicious animal.

"Hey Emmett…" I said, knowing he was close behind me. "Ten points for me." I heard a small growl of excitement behind me. I slowed down so that he could catch up with me and soon we were running side-by-side, following the invisible trail.

The day continued on similar to this. We picked up on the scent of a bear and followed it. When we found it, we had a little fun annoying it nearly to death, before leaving it physically unharmed but a little emotionally damaged. Emmett only killed one by accident but we were thirsty enough to not let it go to waste.

It was around twilight when we had finished with our game. I was up by ten points and Emmett was a little sore about loosing.

"I had to put up with you and that little rat last night. That should give me another twenty points at least." He complained as we ran back to the campsite. We had made our way deep into the wilderness, hundreds of miles away from where we started. I couldn't help but laugh.

"But, technically, you should loose fifty for killing that last grizzly." I laughed. He shot me a glare. He was a very competitive person.

"That wasn't my fault. I just got a little…overexcited." He struggled with the right word. I grinned at him.

"Fine, make it a tie?"

"Fine." He said grudgingly. "I'll beat you next time though."

"Probably," I said just to boost up his ego. Emmett wasn't fun when he didn't get his way. "So, when are we going to head back?"

"I was thinking in the morning, it would be nice to drive in the sun. And the windows in the jeep are tinted enough so that we won't be giving anything away." He smiled.

"And that means we'll be back in the evening on Sunday."

"Just enough time to finish your homework," he said, laughing. He abruptly stopped.

"What?" I asked

"Well, I forgot to do an English assignment. My teacher said if I don't get it done by tomorrow, I'll get another detention. Rose would kill me."

I couldn't help but snicker as dread washed over his face. He glared at me again.

When we got back to the site I quickly ducked into the tent and changed my shirt. I pulled off the light gray t-shirt – one of my favorites – that was torn to shreds from the bears' powerful claws. I threw it into a garbage bag with the shirt that the mountain lion had destroyed the day previously. I slipped on the last shirt I had packed – a green and white short sleeve polo that Alice had bought for me – and walked out of the tent. I hoped that we wouldn't run into any more creatures with large claws because Alice would kill me if I destroyed her favorite shirt.

Emmett had already started packing up the rest of our supplies and the moment I stepped out the tent, he rushed over and pulled all the sleeping bags and packs out. Within seconds, the green tent was rolled up and back in the tent bag where it belonged.

"I figured we would pack up tonight, reduce our work in the morning." Emmett said with a grin. I nodded in response and walked over to the bag that held my stuff. I pulled out one of my books and settled down on the ground to read. The moon was full and bright in the sky, shedding light on the small clearing. Emmett continued to pile our stuff in a heap before pulling out a cell phone.

"You think we get reception out here?" He asked, holding the cell phone high over his head.

I shrugged. "Probably, you'll just have to find it." I said with a slight smile and with that Emmett took off searching for bars.

I heard a loud whoop of triumph not far away. I snorted as I looked over to the west and saw Emmett in a tree, the moon just giving enough light to see his silhouette. Some mental pictures that I would have preferred not to see quickly followed that.

"Emmett!" I yelled over to him. "I know that you are talking to Rosalie but would you please stop what you are thinking?" I grimaced painfully as a quick stream of crude thoughts came my way. "EMMETT!"

Sorry bro, I just got a little excited. I'll keep it down.

I accepted this and continued to read my book, To Kill a Mockingbird. It was one of my favorites. I think that was because of the strange way I related to the reclusive and mysterious Boo Radley. The fact that he had a secret that he couldn't share with the world and everyone thought he was such a monster, in a way, that was what life was like for me.

I had gotten to the part in court where Atticus Finch was defending Tom Robinson while Jem, Scout, and Dill watched from the balcony when the sun started to peak over the trees. I had been too absorbed to realize that Emmett had returned and was laying on the grown, just looking up at the sky. I put the book down and turned towards Emmett. He was deep in though, mainly about Rosalie, but that wasn't a surprise. That was mostly what he thought about even when they were together.

"It's morning, we should get going." I said quietly. Emmett snapped his head up, wrenched from his thoughts.

"Yeah." He said, getting up. I could tell he was eager to get home to his wife. He brushed off his jeans and gathered up the packs, putting them on his back as if they weighed nothing. I put my book back in the pack that I would be carrying and glanced at Emmett. There was a slight twinkle in his eye.

"Wha…?" I began to say but before I could finish, he took off in the direction of the jeep. I let out a growl of frustration for not reading that little move from his mind before taking off and following him into the woods.

I slowed as I passed near the clearing with the two mountains lions laying in it. I felt more of the guilt from yesterday wash over me before I sped up again; wanting to distance myself from the two creatures I had killed.

Emmett beat me to the jeep. He had a large grin on his face as I emerged from the woods.

"What took so long?" He asked, leaning on the side of the car.

"Nothing." I said as I went over to the passenger side door. Emmett ran around the side and hopped into the Jeep, his hands gripping the wheel and his foot hovering eager to press it down as hard as possible. I didn't bother buckling in this time.

It was a long drive. I stared out the window for most of it, watching the sunrise slowly in the east, uninterrupted by clouds. The day edged on and my eyes followed it as it began its descent into the west.

We arrived home just as the sun was turning a red hue the colour of blood and slowly sinking below the tree line, letting the stars dance in the darkening sky. Emmett put the car in the garage and ran out of it, excited to see his wife. He nearly took the door off when he slammed it and left me alone in the garage.

I got out and grudgingly got all the bags from the trunk. I hitched them onto my back and ran into the house. Emmett was already on the couch with Rosalie, his arm over her shoulders and her body curled up on his side. They were whispering intimately into each other's ears and picture even more intimate things in their heads.

"Thanks for helping with the bags, Emmett," I said sarcastically interrupting their private moment.

"Sorry, I had more important things to do." he replied without taking his eyes off Rosalie's face. I pretended to shudder in disgust and Rosalie smiled, giving her husband a kiss on the lips. Okay, so maybe it wasn't all pretend.

I put the camping equipment in the basement and threw out our ruined clothes. Even though it took just seconds to put everything in its place, by the time I came upstairs and into the living room, Jasper and Alice were cuddled up on the couch, looking as though they had been there for hours.

"Sorry for not warning you guys earlier," Alice said when I entered the room. Her eyes were fixated on the Weather Channel and a large sun that was beaming across the screen.

"It's going to be sunny for the next couple days, you could have extended your hunting trip."

"Yes!" Emmett cheered, standing up. Everyone looked at him, questioningly. He stopped his victory dance and cast a large smile at us. "I have longer to finish my English project!" He explained triumphantly. Alice and I laughed and Jasper gave him a dry grin. Rosalie looked away, her face teeming with disapproval.

"So," Alice said, addressing everyone in the room, "What do we do for the next two days?"

"Hey Edward and Jasper, you guys up for some friendly competition? You know, Basketball, Football, Soccer…all revised of course." Emmett said, his eyes gleaming in excitement.

Jasper sent a little calm towards him to keep him from bouncing off the walls. "Emmett, remember last time we tried to play soccer?" Emmett and I snorted, the thoughts he was having echoed my own. Jasper's expression mirrored Rosalie's. "You know they never did find out what happened to that poor man's car."

That did it; Emmett and I erupted into full out laughter. Jasper couldn't help but smile. "How were we supposed to know that a ball could break all the windows and put a nice dent in the side of the car?" I asked, trying into calm my voice enough to get the sentence out straight.

I looked over at the couch where Rosalie was sitting, glaring at her immature husband with her arms crossed. Alice's eyes were far away, her body tense as she saw something that had yet to come. She snapped out of it seconds after I lay my eyes on her.

Edward…I need to talk to you outside. It's important.

I gave a slight nod and glanced over at my brothers. Emmett was reminding Jasper of the time during a game of football when Emmett tacked him and they had flown into the side of a house. Jasper had a painful expression on his face, not liking to remember his screw up's.

Alice got up and left the house without much notice. She stopped by Jasper quickly and squeezed his hand. She motioned that she was going outside. He nodded and continued on his conversation with Emmett. I walked out after Alice, only pausing to give warning looks at my brothers. They understood not to listen or follow.

I walked out side and glanced around, looking for Alice. I saw her small figure, pale and glowing, by the edge of the trees. I walked over to her quickly, sensing the nervousness in her stance.

"What is it Alice?" I asked when I got close enough to her. She looked up from her intense staring contest with the ground. Her eyes were full with worry.

"In two days, Tuesday night, Bella is going to go to Port Angeles." She started, her voice so low, I had to strain a little to hear it. I didn't see the significance of the statement.

"And?" I urged her on. She looked away from me, casting her eyes back towards the dirt.

"See for yourself." she murmured. I peered into her mind.

Bella was walking on a darkened street. Four men approached her and backed her up against a wall. The leader grabbed her and pushed her down on the ground, tearing her shirt off, exposing her. The four men leered down at her, hungrily gazing over every inch of skin. Two of them pinned her down while the others began to violate her in everyway possible. She screamed in terror, gasping for help. No one came. Afterwards she lay in an ally in a pool of her own blood, shuddering in fright. Everything went black.

I drew away from Alice's consciousness with a gasp. My hands had clenched into fists and my eyes had gone hard. I worked hard to keep the anger and horror out of my voice. "When, Where?" The panic leaked into my expression and voice. Alice looked at me sympathetically with equal amounts of dread over her face.

"On Tuesday in Port Angeles." She said, "I don't know the exact time, just the day. Edward, I'm not sure you can stop this from happening."

I turned away and took off into the forest, my body automatically taking me to the place my soul was anchored, Bella's house.

I took my place in the tree outside her window and gazed into her room. She was tangled in the sheets of her bed; her hair was strewn about her pillow carelessly. I looked over the beautiful creature that was radiating innocence, an innocence that in two days would be taken and destroyed. My hands tightened into balls at the thought of it.

I took off again, this time going deep into the forest, away from everything. I couldn't let this happen. I wouldn't. I just didn't know how to stop it. I couldn't go to my family. They would tell me to leave it alone, it what was supposed to happen. Rosalie would get very sensitive about it – considering what happened to her – but wouldn't help me. It would possibly make her even angrier. No, my family was out of the question.

I couldn't go to Bella and tell her not to go. I wouldn't be in school for the next few days. What would I have done anyway? I couldn't tell her anything without giving up my family's secret. I couldn't do anything. I would have to sit on the sidelines, helpless, and watch.

No. I had to do something, anything.

* * *

_Terribly sorry about the freaky vision that Alice had. I did try to keep it tasteful.  
And i am also terribly sorry about killing Jack. It was nessesary.  
Please Review! I'm hoping to get 50 by the time i get my next chapter up.  
Any more than that and i might explode from happiness._

_**Hayley**_


	9. Port Angeles

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A/N - I just revamped this chapter, putting in italics and fixing some random spelling mistakes i noticed. Sorry for the fake warning _

_I would like to thank my beta, wannabecullen. She is the reason there are no messed up errors in this wonderful chapter. Extend all thanks to her_

_Errr, this chapter is the longest one i've written (terribly sorry) so get settled down into your chairs and get some hot chocolate and prepare to be amazed. Oh, and i would also like to thank all of you for my wonderful reveiws. i got WAY more than i expected and now i'm hoping to pass 80 by the next chapter. Speaking of which, it won't be out for a while because i'm almost failing in school and i've got alot of tests, summitives and exams going on for the next three weeks. I'll try to get my chapter done by next friday though._

**_And as always, i own nothing except my keyboard and computer. All the ideas, dialouge and characters belong to the marvi Stephanie Meyers who created the godly world of Twilight. Actually.. i don't even think i own the keyboard. It's my parents... life sucks for me :(_**

_Music! Okay, so we need some angsty but awesome and also romantic music so i'm suggesting Vultures by John Mayer for the first little bit and Say Yes by Elliot Smith for the last little bit._

_As always, Hayley_

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**Port Angeles**

The next two days I spent in my room and listened to various forms of music while my head ran through scenario after scenario that could possibly happen. If I arrived too late, I might not be able to restrain myself from killing the men. In that process, Bella could also be hurt or worse killed. Worse still, if I got there too late and her blood had already been spilt, I didn't know what would happen. I shuddered at the thought.

Alice had offered to come help me thousands of times. She knocked on the door and poked her head into my room before I even had a chance to respond. She always started timidly, asking if she could help but before long, her temper flared making mine erupt as well. Jasper had to leave for a walk because of the emotions flying through the house. Alice eventually went to find him, leaving me alone to my plans.

At one point on Tuesday – the day I had been dreading – with only about an hour before Bella left I finally sat on my couch, exhausted from pacing, planning, and overall, not having hunted since my trip. I placed my head in my hands and let out an exasperated sigh. I let my mind wander and reached out to my family.

_Die! Die! Oh come on, is that all you got? All you have is a plasma gun, I've got a shot gun buddy…see there goes your head…NOO! YOU STUCK ME!_

I withdrew, confused. Emmett was talking about killing someone? With a gun? It was then I realized that he was probably playing with his ridiculous x-box. Counterstrike, Halo, Ghost Recon; any one of those moronically violent games. I shook my head. That was Emmett for you. I absentmindedly wondered what "stuck" meant before I reached out for the rest of the minds.

_Edward, if you can hear me…come downstairs. I want to talk to you. What you're doing, it isn't healthy. You need to talk to someone._

I stopped listening to Carlisle. He must have been repeating the same thing in his head over and over again, hoping I would be listening. Esme was, no doubt, thinking the same thing. I ignored the emotions that were rising in my throat and swallowed, in hopes to push them down deeper.

I got off the couch and checked the time. One hour until school ended. I would have to do this now but I needed to hunt first. Just in case. No, I couldn't let myself think that way. I wouldn't allow it.

I ran out my door and down the steps, not pausing to acknowledge anyone's presence. They all stared at me questioningly but I was in the forest by the time they even thought to follow. I quickly disposed of a deer and made my way back to the house. My family was there to greet me.

"What is going on, Edward?" Carlisle asked in his calm voice.

"I've got to go." I said. I pushed past Emmett to retrieve my keys. His hands connected with my shoulders and held me in place. I pushed against them, trying to loosen his grip but failed. "Let me go Emmett." I said through clenched teeth, not looking in his eyes.

"No. Tell us what's going on." He demanded just as calm as Carlisle. The tranquility in everyone's expressions was starting to infuriate me. They didn't know the urgency of what I needed to do. I looked over at Alice who gave me an encouraging nod.

_Just tell them._

I shook my head. "You tell them. I'm going to be late." I threw Emmett's arms off me and went in the house to get my keys. Alice was quickly explaining her vision when I got back out of the house. Everyone except Rosalie was staring wide eyed at her when she explained what was going to happen. Rosalie wouldn't look at anyone; her face was contorted into a dark glare.

"Let me come." She said when I passed her. I just shook my head and jumped into my car. I slammed my foot on the gas pedal and sped off down the driveway. My parents were sending me warning thoughts and Alice was telling me good luck. Only Rosalie didn't seem too concerned about my situation. Her mind was far away, back to the night she was changed and what happened to her. I pushed my foot down harder on the gas. That wouldn't happen to Bella, not if I could help it.

I slowed down when I got to Bella's street and drove past her house. Her truck was in the driveway. I let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't left yet. I drove around the corner of her street and parked my car, waiting for the roar of her truck to inform me she had left. It didn't come.

I got out of my car and ran to her house. Her scent was there but it was…faint, as though she hadn't been there in a while – half an hour at least. Fear gripped my insides. She had left with someone else – probably Jessica or Angela – and I had no idea where she was now. I sprinted back to my Volvo and sped off down the street and on to the highway leading to Port Angeles.

I reached out my mind, searching, for anyone that was familiar, anyone what Bella might be with. I was already going more than 30 miles above the speed limit, but it didn't seem to be enough.

After about twenty minutes of driving, I heard Jessica Stanley's voice. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding in and began to slow down in order to follow them. I picked up on a little bit of gossip about Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton as well as some spiteful thoughts towards Bella – confirming that she was in the car.

I followed them all to a department store on the main street in Port Angeles. It was a nice and quaint little town. Alice and Esme enjoyed coming here to shop on weekends and I had been dragged along several times.

I parked my car near the white Mercury – which I found out, was Jessica's – and waited. Every once-and-a-while I got a brief flash of thoughts coming from Jessica or Angela. Sometimes it was one of them in a dress or another piece of gossip. I did a double take when I heard Tyler was taking Bella to the prom and concentrated harder on the thoughts of the girls. I let out a sigh of relief when Angela's mind informed me it wasn't true.

After another hour or so, I finally saw them all leave the store. I was beginning feel more relaxed, perhaps what Alice saw wouldn't come true. Maybe Angela or Jessica hadn't been invited until the last minute. I let my eyes close and sunk into my chair, still keeping my mind with Jessica. She was now prattling on about her date with Mike – like anyone cared – and also simultaneously wondering what she was going to have for dinner. I wondered if and how her brain could handle so much at once.

It was beginning to get darker and I still hadn't moved from my parking spot. Suddenly, a comment from Angela's mind made my heart lurch.

_I wonder where Bella is. I hope she hasn't gotten lost. She went to the bookstore ten minutes ago…I wonder if I should be worried._

My breath caught in my throat for a second before I started the car and sped out of the parking lot. I frantically looked through the minds of people walking on the street, looking for glimpses of Bella. I finally opened the window and concentrated hard on the smells that filled the air. I filtered them out one by one until the last one. It was so familiar and so distinct; I thought I would go mad that very moment. I resisted the urge to jump out of my car and follow it on foot.

It was a faint trail and it eventually ended leaving me wandering around aimlessly. It was dark now, almost as dark as in the vision Alice had. I was in an area containing warehouses and lots of alleys. Every time I passed on of the darkened passageways, I looked down it, just to make sure. My mind was still wandering, looking for other consciousnesses that could give me a clue to where Bella was. Finally, I found one.

It was very similar to Alice's vision, what was running through this man's head with one difference. In his delusion, Bella was happy. My jaw tightened, eyes darkened, and I pressed down harder on the pedal. I wasn't too late. Not yet.

The thoughts got stronger, clearer, and more violent.

_Don't walk away, come back and we'll show you a good time_… 

I still was far away, I could tell from the distance of his mind but it seemed that Bella was distancing herself from them and hopefully giving me more time.

_So what should we do…?_

_He's going to get carried away; he should just go pick up a hooker or something from the bar._

_That sounds good. It's always better when they're…reluctant._

I wanted more than anything to stop listening to the plan the four men were coming up with but I couldn't, not if I wanted to find them and save Bella. I cringed as the thoughts took another turn, imagining what they would do afterwards.

_Kill her, hid the body. The police here are too stupid to do anything about it. _

_Whatever; leave her for dead. It's not our problem_.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I hadn't committed a murder in many decades and I didn't want to break that record, especially when Bella was so close. I rounded a corner, the minds getting clearer and – to my disgust and horror – closer to their victim. They could see her now; that much was clear. Two of them were admiring her figure in a less than tasteful manner.

I rounded the final corner and saw Bella backed up against a wall, beside the alley from Alice's nightmarish vision, and four men – if you could call them that – cornering her. She wasn't moving, her face was twisted in concentration and I felt another protective surge wash over me. I drove straight towards her, almost hitting one of the bigger ones, and spun the wheel so the passenger door was in front of her. I quickly opened it. The smell of arousal and excitement still hung in the air. The rage took over me and I longed to leap out of the car and break every one of the assailant's necks.

"Get in," I said after a moment of Bella standing and staring at the car.

She didn't hesitate to obey me. When Bella got in the car - her aroma drove my thirst up to unbearable limits - it only made the fury worse. I attempted to calm myself, failing miserably. The moment she slammed the door, I put my foot on the pedal, speeding off and leaving the dumbfounded slime called men, behind. A couple of them dove at out my way when I made no attempt to avoid them while driving.

"Put on your seat belt." I commanded again. There was no need for me to save her only to have her fly through the windshield with my reckless driving. I tried to take my anger out on the car, coaxing it to go faster and flooring the pedal. It wasn't helping. Her scent was pushing my anger more than I was pushing the car. I took a deep breath only to be suffocated by her fragrance. I held my breath.

"Are you okay?" She asked me timidly. Her voice was rough from fear. Or something else I couldn't name.

"No." I told her truthfully. My tone was still furious. I tried again to calm myself by pushing the emotions deeper down. It wasn't working. I couldn't look at her so I kept my eyes focused on the road. Everything was passing by with dizzying speed. Finally, I slowed down and pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road.

I focused for a moment before speaking. I composed myself to the best of my ability. "Bella?"

"Yes?" She asked still quietly. She cleared her throat.

"Are you alright?" I asked. If she had been hurt, I didn't think I'd be able to stop myself from going back and hunting those men down. At even the thought of them, the fury came back to my face, breaking though my somewhat serene mask.

"Yes."

"Distract me, please." It wasn't really a question. I needed something to take my mind off them and I knew Bella's voice would be better than anything else.

"I'm sorry, what?" She seemed confused.

"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down." I closed my eyes and concentrated on her and nothing else. I reached up and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to calm the thoughts that were swirling though my head.

"Um, I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow before school?" I didn't open my eyes but I couldn't help but smile a little. It obviously had something to do with the alleged invitation to the prom.

"Why?" I asked, though I already knew. I was already starting to calm down by just listening to her voice. I was right; it was better than any other sound in the world.

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom – either he's insane or he's still trying to make up for almost killing me last… well, you remember it, and he thinks _prom_ is somehow the correct way to do this. So I figure if I endanger his like, then we're even, and he can't keep trying to make amends. I don't need enemies and maybe Lauren would back off if he left me alone. I might have to total his Sentra though. If he doesn't have a ride he can't take anyone to prom…"

I smiled; I was happy Bella would rather commit murder than go to prom with someone. But I highly doubted that Tyler was just trying to make amends, after all, I could see inside his head. "I heard about that." I admitted. No need to tell her it was from one of her friend's minds…

"_You_ did?" Her irritation was evident in her tone. "If he's paralyzed from the neck down he can't go to the prom, either." I could almost hear the plans forming in her head. Almost. I sighed and opened my eyes, finally in control of my emotions, but just barely.

"Better?"

"Not really." I said truthfully. I leaned back and stared at the ceiling of the car, attempting to convince myself of the pointlessness to killing the _men _that attacked Bella. The anger was flaring again and I tried to keep it from showing.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella." That was an understatement. My face tightened. "But it _wouldn't _be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" I didn't finish, for fear I would loose control. I could just imagine what Carlisle and Esme would think. Rosalie probably wouldn't mind. In fact, she probably would have congratulated me. "At least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Oh."

I took a breath, her scent now calming me instead of infuriating me. She glanced at the clock.

"Jessica and Angela will be worried." She said quietly. "I was supposed to meet them."

I started the engine and turned around, heading back to Port Angeles, praying we wouldn't run into her attackers. The lights from the small city eventually flooded into the car. I quickly located the small Italian restaurant that Jessica was thinking about earlier in the day and parked out in front.

"How did you know where…?" she started to say but then stopped and shook her head. I got out of the car and let the cool air clear my head.

"What are you doing?" She asked, still in her seat. With my thoughts less murky, I allowed a smile.

"I'm taking you to dinner." Did this count as a date? If so, Esme would be proud. I shut the door with a little too much strength and let it slam. I walked onto the sidewalk and waited for Bella to exit the vehicle.

"Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I can restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again." I could feel the fury rising in my throat as I mentioned them. I closed my eyes and let it calm down.

"Jess! Angela!" She yelled, taking a step away from me and towards her friends. They walked towards us but the shock was evident on their faces when they saw me. I composed myself.

"Where have you been?" Jessica asked. _Why is he here? Are they on a date! Why didn't she tell me! Why is he looking so…?_ I stopped listening at that point.

"I got lost," Bella replied, looking down at her shoes. "And then I ran into Edward." She looked over to me. I swear my heart thumped when she said my name.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" I asked, turning on the charm a bit. I would have preferred to not be in the company of two swooning girls but it was better than being alone. I didn't know what I would do if I was by myself.

Both of their minds went blank and I resisted the urge to snicker.

"Er…sure," Jessica said.

"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting – sorry," Angela said. _Jessica! Can't you see they want to be alone!_

"That's fine – I'm not hungry." She shrugged. Jessica opened her mouth but I quickly cut her off.

"I think you should eat something." I said, using the voice I usually reserved for teachers. From what had happened that night, Bella should have been going into shock or at least freaking out. I wanted to get her to have something in her system, just in case. I looked over to Jessica and Angela who were exchanging meaningful glances. "Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."

"Uh, no problem, I guess…." Jessica said, still stunned and staring at Bella. _Are you really sure…he sounds kind of…controlling…? _I refrained from scowling. It was what was best for Bella.

Angela jumped in quickly. "Okay." She grabbed Jessica's arm and dragged her towards the car. "See you tomorrow, Bella…Edward." Jessica turned around and waved, her mind overflowing with curious questions.

Bella looked up at me when her friends were gone. "Honestly, I'm not hungry."

"Humor me"

I walked to the restaurant, expecting her to follow me. I held open the door as she walked past me and sighed. We stood and waited for the host to show us to a table. She turned around and her eyes immediately fell on me. I kept the exasperated sigh from escaping my lips as she thought the usual things that women did when they first met me. She greeted us with an overly friendly smile, as she looked me over. I was determined to ignore her.

"A table for two." I asked. I attempted to convey to her that Bella was my only priority. She looked down at Bella and smiled; obviously thinking she was no threat.

She led us to a large table situated right in the center of a very busy area. I flicker of annoyance passed though me. Bella started to sit down, but I shook my head and she froze. I looked at the hostess and slipped her a hundred dollar bill.

"Perhaps something more private?"

"Sure." She said, dumbfounded. She led us to a small table in the corner of the restaurant that was completely empty. "How's this?" She asked me.

I smiled. "Perfect." Her mind suddenly went blank for some reason.

"Um, your server will be right out." I nodded and turned towards the table.

I held a chair out for her and she sat down. There was a disapproving expression on her face that confused me. I went to sit down next to her.

"You really shouldn't do that to people. It's hardly fair." She scolded me.

"Do what?"

"Dazzle them like that – she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now."

Dazzle…what in the world was she talking about? I let my confusion seep into my expression. She stared at me incredulously.

"Oh, come on. You _have_ to know the effect you have on people."

I tilted my head a little, trying to find the sense in her words. Did I have that effect on her? "Do I dazzle _you_?" I asked. The word 'dazzle' seemed a little ridiculous coming out of my mouth, but I was eager to hear her answer.

"Frequently." She admitted. I smiled, no doubt 'dazzling' her again.

Our server arrived just in time to see my smile. Her heart fluttered. _Nina wasn't kidding. This guy has to be a model or something and what is he doing with a girl like that?_ She flipped her hair behind her shoulder, sending a wave of unattractive fragrance to me. I resisted the urge to wrinkle my nose. She smiled.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" She asked, looking directly at me. I ignored her and looked at Bella.

"I'll have a Coke."

"Two Cokes." I informed her, without looking away from Bella.

"I'll be right back with that." She said and she walked away.

"What?" Bella asked, finally noticing my gaze. I studied her face, looking for any sign she was going to collapse.

"How are you feeling?" Her face looked pale, but it was always a couple shades under the norm. Her eyes were still bright.

"I'm fine." She assured me.

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold…?"

"Should I?"

I laughed. She was one of a kind. Any other girl would have fainted or gone into shock, but not Bella. "Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock." I admitted, pulling my mouth into a smile. Her heart rate increased a little and she took a little breath.

"I don't think that will happen. I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things." She said after composing herself. A little bit of the blush remained on her cheeks.

"Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you." I said with a smile.

The waitress, Amber, arrived carrying our drinks and some bread. She ignored Bella and turned to me.

"Are you ready to order?" _I can get you anything you want…_her mind was heavy with implications. I looked over at Bella who looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Bella?" I asked, forcing the waitress to turn to her unhappily.

"Um…I'll have the mushroom ravioli." She said, obviously giving no thought to what she wanted. Amber turned back to me, beaming.

"And you?" She asked in what she thought was an attractive voice.

"Nothing for me." I said, dismissing her.

"Let me know if you change your mind." She said. I didn't watch her leave. I turned my face back to Bella's. I pushed the Coke towards her.

"Drink."

She took the straw in her mouth and sucked up the liquid quickly. She finished the first glass and I pushed the second one towards her.

"Thanks," she muttered sheepishly. She began to shiver from the iciness of the Coke, or from her proximity to me. That made my heart drop a couple inches in my chest.

"Are you cold?"

"It's just the Coke," she said, still shivering.

"Don't you have a jacket?" It was a cold night; any normal person would have at least brought something to keep them warm. I sighed. Not Bella, of course not.

"Yes." She answered, reaching beside her seat. "Oh – I left it in Jessica's car."

Another shiver ripped though her small frame. I shrugged out of my leather jacket and handed it to her. She ignored my hand for a moment, staring at my body. If I could have blushed, I would have. I was pleased she was happy with what she saw. I pushed my hand towards her a little father and she snapped out of her trance.

"Thanks," she said, blushing furiously. It only deepened my attraction to her. Bella put on the coat and took a deep breath, presumably taking in my natural scent. I smiled and – if was possible – grew even more pleased. The light tan leather complimented the colour of her skin and went will with the sapphire blue blouse she was wearing. Suddenly, blue became my favorite colour.

"That colour blue looks lovely with your skin," I said. She looked down and blushed even more. Her sitting there in my jacket seemed so normal and so…right. I pushed the bread basket towards her.

"Really, I'm not going into shock." She complained, looking at the food that was now sitting in front of her.

"You should be – a _normal _person would be." I realized that I probably wouldn't be anywhere near her if she was normal and I silently thanked her for being abnormal. "You don't even look shaken." I continued, looking straight into her eyes.

"I feel very safe with you." She confessed. I scowled. That was the farthest thing from what I wanted. Well, it wasn't, but it was the farthest thing that would be best for her.

"This is more complicated than I'd planned." I told myself. Complications seemed to follow me everywhere. Anything that could go wrong with me usually did.

I was deep in thought when Bella interrupted me. "Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light." She pointed out. My breath caught in my chest.

"What?" I asked, turning my shock into confusion.

"You're always crabbier when your eyes are black – I expect it then. I have a theory about that." She said. She didn't realize that my family usually moved before anyone had ever gotten this far into our secret.

"More theories?" I asked, turning the subject away from my secrets and back onto her.

"Mm-hm," she answered trying to be uninterested. She started to eat a bread stick to avoid my eyes.

"I hope you were more creative this time…or are you still stealing from comic books?" I smiled teasingly. My mind wandered over to the X-men mutant theory I had gotten several times. Her scent came again in another round but instead of pushing back, I leaned in, trying to absorb as much as possible. It was simply delicious and was making my head spin, but I didn't care. I told myself I was strong enough to resist. She responded unconsciously and also leaned towards me a bit. The closeness was driving me crazy. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand, to touch her warm skin, hold her and never let go. That's what my brain was telling me. My instinct was telling me to leap across the table and take what I desired. I didn't realize she had started talking.

"Well, no. I didn't get it from a comic book, but I didn't come up with it on my own, either."

I was extremely anxious to hear what she thought me to be, super hero or villain. "And?" I asked when she didn't continue. Unfortunately, I heard the waitress's thoughts coming closer and I knew our conversation was about to be interrupted. I straightened up and sat back in my seat. Bella mirrored me.

The waitress came around the divider carrying Bella's dinner and a large smile. She set it down on the table and turned straight to me, once again blocking Bella out of the conversation.

"Did you change you mind? Isn't there anything I can get you?" She asked. _Like me naked in the supply closet with you…_

"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." I said telling her no to both her words and the thoughts in her head. If only she knew what would probably happen if my teeth, with only my lips to cover them, came any where near her neck.

"Sure," She said, her voice was heavy with disappointment. She cleared the empty glasses and walked away, her head filled with extremely polluted thoughts. I turned my attention back to Bella when she passed out of earshot.

"You were saying?"

"I'll tell you about it in the car. If…" She stopped.

"There are conditions?" Oh course there were, I should have figured as much.

"I do have a few questions, of course."

"Oh course." I was slightly worried about how deep into this subject she was going to dig. If it got too far, I wasn't sure what choice I would have but to tell her everything. But would that really be so bad? If she knew everything…then I could be myself with her. But the more likely chance was that if she knew everything, she would run away screaming.

I didn't notice the waitress come back and set the drinks down on the table, I was looking at Bella intently.

"Well, go ahead." There was nothing I could do about it now.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?"

If there was any question she could have asked, that was the last one I wanted. There was no need for her to know how obsessed I was with her, that I would risk everything just to keep her safe. I looked down and placed a careful smile on my face. "Next."

"But that's the easiest one!" she protested. I nearly laughed. It was far from easy.

"Next." I said, more firmly this time. She got the hint and looked down, frustration clear on her face. She took the fork and stabbed on of the ravioli and placed it in her mouth. I was fascinated and I watched her eat. She looked up at me, her eyes harder.

"Okay, then." She glared. A sudden shiver ran down my back. This was going to be bad. "Let's say, hypothetically of course, that…someone…could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know – with a few exceptions."

I was found out. I suppressed the fear and anxiety rising in my throat. It was okay. She could know this without knowing the full secret. I took a breath and played off the last part of her statement, avoiding confirmation. "Just _one_ exception, hypothetically." Even with the fear, I still felt a twinge of annoyance that there even was an exception.

"Alright, with one exception then." She was flushed with pleasure. "How does that work? What are the limitations? How would…that someone…find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know she was in trouble?"

"Hypothetically?" I asked jokingly. She obviously knew my secret, no need to pretend anymore. She didn't get the sarcasm.

"Sure."

"Well, if…that someone…" I started.

"Let's call him Joe."

I smiled dryly. "Joe, then. If Joe had been paying attention the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." There was no need to let her know how close I was to being too late. "Only _you_ could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know." I told her, throwing away the hypothetical situation. Her features hardened.

"We were speaking of a hypothetical case."

I laughed; I really didn't mind her knowing this secret. She was taking it surprisingly well. "Yes, we were. Shall we call you 'Jane'?"

"How did you know?" She asked, leaning towards me again. I wasn't prepared for the proximity or the question. I couldn't tell her about Alice's 'ability'. That would definitely spawn more X-men theories. She was in too deep now…

"You can trust me, you know." She said, reaching out with her hand. I defiantly wasn't prepared for the sudden heat that came near my hand. I pulled back before she could touch it.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." I lowered my voice. I almost hoped she wouldn't hear. "I was wrong – you're much more observant than I gave you credit for."

"I thought you were always right."

"I used to be." I shook my head. "I was wrong about you on one other thing as well. You're not a magnet for accidents – that's not a broad enough classification. You're a magnet for _trouble._" I thought back to earlier that night and my hands clenched. "If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

"And you put yourself into that category?"

I was probably the most dangerous thing that she would ever run into and there she was, sitting inches away, perfectly at ease. I let my face freeze over in a calm mask. "Unequivocally." She reached her hand out again, more hesitant and careful this time. I only pulled back a little but she ignored me and let her fingers run along the back of my hand. The warmth that blossomed from that spot ran through my empty veins and exploded in my heart. I took a small shaky breath.

"Thank you. That's twice now," she said softly. Her voice was layered with appreciation.

My expression melted, perhaps from her words, perhaps from the heat radiating from the place her fingers touched my hand. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"

Her brow furrowed fractionally but nodded. I moved my hand from under hers, not able to take her blood being so close to me, and put them under the table. I gripped the wood with one hand like I had the first day of Biology. I leaned towards her.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," I confessed. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome that I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." I paused and waited for her reaction. I expected her to run away but against my expectations – of course – she stayed still. I could even hear her heart pick up its rhythm in pleasure. A small smile was placed on her lips. I wondered if I should have been happy she was pleased with me protecting her, or worried that she felt so safe with me.

"Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and that you've been interfering with fate?" She asked.

"That wasn't the first time." I admitted. My voice was low again. I couldn't meet her eyes when I continued and my eyes were fixated at the tablecloth. "Your number was up the first time I met you."

It took a minute but I looked up, her eyes were still warm, understanding and without a trace of terror or fear.

"You remember?"

"Yes." Even her voice was calm, no hint of a waver.

"And yet here you sit."

"Yes, here I sit…because of you. Because somehow you knew how to find me today….?" She was still wondering how I was able to find her. I didn't want to tell her but it seemed necessary. I looked down at her full plate.

"You eat, I'll talk." It would also keep her from interrupting me. She eagerly took a piece of ravioli in her mouth.

'It's harder than it should be – keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before." She stopped and was looking at me, wide eyed. She resumed eating when I stopped talking.

"I was keeping tabs on Jessica, not carefully – like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles – and at first I didn't notice when you took off on your own. Then, when I realized you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell you hadn't gone in, and that you'd gone south…and I knew you would have to turn around soon, so I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street – to see if anyone had noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried…but I was strangely anxious…" The last part was a lie. I did have a reason to be worried. A very large reason, but I still couldn't let her know of the rest of my family's gifts. The half-truth was better than a lie.

"I started to drive in circles, still…listening. The sun was finally setting and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then-" I stopped and tried to calm myself of the rage that came over me when I thought of the men's thoughts.

"Then what?" She asked timidly. I didn't look straight at her, seeing her in their thoughts – broken on the ground – was enough.

"I heard what they were thinking." The fury came again when I thought of it again. "I saw your face in his mind." I couldn't take it anymore. I covered my face with my hand and tried – in vein – to stop my memories.

"I was very…hard – you can't imagine how hard – for me to simply take you away and leave them…alive. I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them." I still didn't look up. I was ashamed that I had even thought that.

The silence was unbearable. If I could have heard her thoughts, what she thought of me, if might have been better. I finally looked up. She was sitting on her seat, leaning against the back of the chair. She seemed…relaxed. I glanced at her plate. It was empty.

"Are you ready to go home?" I inquired; my voice was still a whisper.

"I'm ready to leave." She said. I caught the distinction in the statement. She still wanted to spend time with me, despite what I just confessed to her.

The waitress appeared. She had been watching from the doors, out of hearing distance, but she had been examining our body language. Apparently she thought Bella to be no threat. If only she knew.

"How are we doing?" She asked me, only me.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." I was finally fed up with how she was ignoring Bella and let some of the roughness sink into my tone. The previous conversation helped as well.

"S-sure. Here you go." She retrieved a black folder from her apron and handed it to me. I placed a fifty in the folder and handed it back.

"No change." I smiled with out feeling and looked at Bella who stumbled to her feet. My smile turned real. The waitress thought I was addressing her and she grinned in return.

"You have a nice evening," She exclaimed. _And come back soon. Like later tonight…_

I walked slightly in front of Bella just inches away. I could feel the heat radiating from her body, calling me closer, but I was careful not to push my limits. I opened the door for her and we walked out into the night.

She sighed. I looked at her, puzzled and annoyed I couldn't hear her thoughts – yet again. She just looked at the sidewalk.

Once we got in the car, I started it and turned the heat on, remembering she was human and it was cold night. I allowed myself a small glance at her and smiled when I saw her breathing in my scent from the collar. I pulled out and drove into the street and headed towards the highway.

"Now," I commented, when we were settled. She looked at me a little frightened. "It's your turn."

* * *

_Wasn't that wonderful?  
Please Review!_

_Hayley_

_PS: really sorry about the next chapter :( may take a while)_

_PPS: About Emmetts little thought at the beginning: 'Stuck' or 'Stick' means that when someone throws a plasma granade at you in Halo, Halo 2 or Halo 3, and it hits you, it can stick to your armor and explode on you, killing you inevitabley. I'm a bit of a video game nerd_


	10. Theory Part 1

_Oookay, i am officially going "BETALESS". The stroy will be riddled with mistakes and terrible botched, but hey, this is and not an actual novel. Thank you to my other betas, but even i can't wait that long. If you want me to use a beta, say so but that comes with longer waiting periods. Much longer waiting periods. Vote in your review :)_

**_Twilight does not and will not ever belong to me unless i discover the cure for cancera and buy Stephanie Meyer out. Which won't happen because i am terrible at Science. :( Anywho, characters, dialouge and plot all belong to the Great One._**

_Music! My Heart and Soul. Sleeping In by the Postal Service is a very chill song if your into that butttt love songs are always good for Bella/Edward scenes in which case...anything by ol' Frank Sinatra will do :)_

_Annnddd On with the Show!_

_OH PS: I also split this chapter up (tee hee) The next chapter shall be posted by probably thursday/friday. _

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**Theory - Part 1**

"Can I ask just one more?" She pleaded. I stared into her brown eyes and found myself unable to refuse. I sighed in defeat.

"One." I answered shortly. I prayed it would be easy but I knew it wouldn't.

"Well…" She began, trying to find the right words. "You said you knew I hadn't gone into the bookstore, and that I had gone south. I was just wondering how you knew that."

I looked away, not wanting her to see the battle I was having with myself shown clearly on my face. Would it scare her if I told her the truth? That I had followed her by means of smell? For some reason, I didn't think that it would bother her as much as I thought.

"I thought we were past all the evasiveness." She interrupted. My lips twitch but I kept my face straight.

"Fine, then. I followed your scent." I kept my eyes fixed on the road, not wanting to see the horror I expected was etched on her face. She didn't make a sound for several moments – I half expected the screaming to start then – but then she started to talk again.

"And then you didn't answer my first question…." She was stalling. That much was clear but I played along.

"Which one?"

"How does it work – the mind-reading thing? Can you read anybody's mind, anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family…?" She trailed off as she ran out of breath in her lungs. She looked slightly ashamed of herself and her cheeks were flushed the loveliest shade of pink.

"That's more than one," I said pointedly. She continued to bore into my head with her eyes. I decided I might as well tell the truth, what was there to lose now? And for some reason I just couldn't resist her gaze.

"No, it's just me. And I can't hear anyone, anywhere. I have to be fairly close. The more familiar someone's…" I struggled for a word to describe it, " 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them. Bust still, no more than a few miles." I paused as I remembered the rigorous experiments Carlisle had put me through when we first found out about my 'gift'. The worst one was going through a crowd.

"It's a little like being in a huge hall filled with people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum – a buzzing if voices in the background. Until I focus on one voice, and then what they're thinking is clear. Most of the time I tune it all out – it can be very distracting. And then it's easier to seem _normal _when I'm not accidentally answering someone's thoughts rather than their words." I tried to explain. We had to move on many occasions in the beginning, before I was used to my 'gift', and I had given too much away.

"Why do you think you can't hear me?" She questioned her eyes alight with curiosity.

"I don't know." I muttered, talking more to myself. "The only guess I have is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs do. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM." My face broke into a grin. It seemed absurd comparing us both to a radio but Bella's eyes showed understanding. My metaphor had served its purpose, no matter how ridiculous it sounded to me.

"My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" Her face suddenly fell and she looked away from me. I desperately thought of something to cheer her up.

"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that _you're _the freak?" I laughed and her heart picked up a few paces. "Don't worry, it's just a theory…." I was reminded of our conversation at dinner and I composed my face, ready for anything she threw at me. "Which brings us back to you."

She let out a sigh when she realized there were no more things that could distract me.

"Aren't we past all the evasions now?" I asked her softly, using the same words she had spoken earlier.

Her eyes wandered away from my face.

"Holy crow!" She yelled suddenly. If I hadn't had vampire reflexes, I would have run the car into a tree. "Slow down!" He voice was coloured with panic.

"What's wrong?" I demanded.

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" She yelled in my ear. It was even louder than she intended thanks to my heightened senses. I suppressed a wince and almost immediately calmed down. If she thought my driving was dangerous….

"Relax, Bella." I said and I turned my eyes back to the road. I rolled my eyes at her worry.

"Are you trying to kill us?" She questioned.

"We're not going to crash." I stated. I suppressed another eye-roll. Her eyes questioned my sanity.

She took a deep breath; I assumed she was trying to calm herself from another outburst. "Why are you in such a hurry?" Her voice still wavered a bit.

"I always drive like this." I turned to face her and smiled. It was true, I couldn't remember the last time I had drove the speed limit.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" She yelled again. I was prepared that time. I didn't flinch or take my eyes off her for a moment. The sheer terror on her face slowly evaporated away as her eyes skimmed over my features.

"I've never been in an accident, Bella – I've never even gotten a ticket." I paused and brought my index finger to my forehead. "Built-in radar detector." I grinned fully.

"Very funny." The look off horror turned into anger and sarcasm. "Charlie's a cop, remember? I was raised to abide by traffic laws. Besides, it you turn us into a Volvo pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably just walk away."

"Probably," I agreed. I gave a short laugh. I sounded more like a bark in my ears. But she couldn't walk away from an accident like that. All my hard work this evening would have been for nothing. "But you can't." I sighed and begrudgingly lifted my foot a couple inches off the gas pedal. The car responded immediately and the speedometer hovered around eighty. "Happy?" I asked. Even I could hear the hard tone in my voice.

"Almost."

"I hate driving slow." I muttered under my breath.

"This is slow?" She asked, disbelieving. He tone questioned my sanity once again.

"Enough commentary on my driving." I hated distractions. "I'm still waiting for your latest theory."

She bit her lip and stared thoughtfully past me. I looked into her eyes as they refocused back on my face. I made sure my face showed none of the tension I was feeling.

"I won't laugh," I promised when she didn't say anything for several minutes. I know that had been her main fear last time.

"I'm more afraid that you'll be angry with me." She admitted quietly.

"It is that bad?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

I waited; different theories from people guessing what we were flew through my head. There had been a few close calls, but luckily, even if someone did guess right, no one believed them. I looked over to find she was staring at her fingers that were interlaced with each other.

"Go ahead." I prompted. There was no way she knew. No way.

"I don't know how to start." Her voice was quiet, meek. Almost a whisper.

"Why don't you start at the beginning…you said you didn't come up with this on your own." I pushed her further, using the same words Carlisle used with Alice when she had a vision.

"No."

"What got you started – a book? A movie?" I pushed.

"No – it was Saturday, at the beach." She glanced quickly at my face, gauging my reaction. I was wholly confused and I let it show clearly on my face.

"I ran into an old family friend – Jacob Black. His dad and Charlie have been friends since I was a baby."

Black… why did that sound familiar? It seems I should have known what she was talking about but I was still in the dark.

"His dad is one of the Quileute elders." She watched me carefully. I kept the confused expression on my face as anger and panic took over my system. "We went for a walk –" she continued, seemingly oblivious to my panic attack, "– and he was telling me some old legends – trying to scare me, I think. He told me one…." She stopped abruptly.

"Go on." I prompted. There was no doubt now. She knew exactly what I was, but still she willingly had got into my car and sat with me through dinner… and was sitting here right beside me, only scared with my driving…

"About vampires," She whispered. She knew. My secret was out and I would be packing tonight and gone by first light tomorrow. My hands clenched into fists around the steering wheel. I felt the leather and metal groan under my hands.

"And you immediately thought of me?" I was struggling to keep my voice calm.

"No. He…mentioned your family."

So they had broken the treaty. Carlisle would have to be informed immediately but not in front of Bella. I continued to stare at the road. I didn't dare let my eyes wander to what must now be her terrified face. She surprised me by speaking again.

"He just thought it was a silly superstition," She blurted out in a hurry. "He didn't expect me to think anything of it. It was my fault, I forced him to tell me."

Odd. She seemed more worried about this Jacob Black, than her own safety and proximity to a bloodsucking monster.

"Why?"

"Lauren said something about you – she was trying to provoke me. And an older boy from the tribe said your family didn't come to the reservation, only it sounded like he meant something different. So I got Jacob alone and I tricked it out of him." By the end of her speech she seemed ashamed of herself, in my peripheral vision I saw her hang her head in shame. I laughed.

"Tricked him how?" I asked. I was curious to know how the worst liar in the world could trick anything out of anybody.

"I tried to flirt – it worked better than I thought it would." Her voice radiated disbelief.

"I'd like to have seen that." I chortled blackly. "And you accuse me of dazzling people – poor Jacob Black." I was strangely jealous of him, seeing Bella flirt would have been quite enjoyable. I smelt the blood pooling in her cheeks as she blushed.

"What did you do then?" I asked after a minute of uncomfortable silence.

"I did some research on the internet."

"And did that convince you?" I asked nonchalantly. Even though my insides were squirming, I tried to keep up my cool demeanor.

"No. Nothing fit. Most of it was kind of silly. And then…" She hesitated.

"What?" I urged.

"I decided it didn't matter." If my heart were beating, it would have stopped.

"It didn't _matter_?" I pronounced each word sharply. I was…surprised, to say the least, that she could sit there so calmly and tell me she didn't care that I was a bloodsucking monster straight from a child's worst nightmare.

"No. It doesn't matter to me what you are." She spoke softly. Ever part of her face was open, serene and – above all – radiating truth.

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not _human_?"

"No," she answered softly.

I turned my face away from hers and concentrated unnecessarily at the dark road. I couldn't help the fury from leaking into my expression.

"You're angry." It wasn't a question. She let out a long sigh. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. I'd rather know what you're thinking – even if what you're thinking is insane."

"So I'm wrong again?" She didn't sound like she thought she was wrong. Her tone was challenging me.

"That's not what I was referring to. 'It doesn't matter'!" I quoted her. Her hands clenched at my mocking, but eyes opened in incredulity.

"I'm right?" She gasped.

"Does it _matter_?" I asked, using her words again. I expected her to lash out at me for mocking her but she simply took a deep breath.

"Not really." She admitted. I suppressed an eye-roll at her lack of self-preservation and stupidity. "But I _am_ curious."

Of course she was. What else had I expected?

"What are you curious about?" I asked in defeat. Her mouth tugged into a smug smile.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen." I was, sort of.

She looked down in acceptance before another flash of realization crossed her face. "And how long have you been seventeen?" She asked confidently.

I tried to conceal the smile that tried to force its way onto my lips. She was smarter than I first thought. "A while." I allowed. I didn't need to scare her by telling her my real age.

"Okay." The smug grin returned to her lips. I looked down at her when the questions had stopped. I really doubted she had so few to ask. Her smile widened at my expression, whatever it was – I wasn't even bothering to keep demeanor under control. I frowned in response.

"Don't laugh – but how can you come out during the daytime?" She asked timidly, her arrogant smile disappeared as quickly as it came.

I couldn't help but chuckle. The things some people believed…if they only knew how wrong Hollywood's version of us was. She shot me a death glare. "Myth." I answered.

"Burned by the sun?"

"Myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

"Myth." I hesitated. Resentment entered my voice. "I can't sleep."

Several seconds passed while she processed the information. Astonishment seeped into her eyes. "At all?"

"Never," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I turned my head and stared into her chocolate eyes. Pity was all that poured out from them. I looked away unwillingly after a couple minutes. I hated to be pitied.

"You haven't asked me the most important question yet." I composed my expression again and looked at her. She just blinked, dazed and confused.

"Which one is that?"

"You aren't concerned about my diet?" I asked bleakly. She quickly turned her face away from mine; obviously not wanting me to see whatever emotion was showing through her features.

"Oh, that," She muttered quietly.

"Yes, that." I answered. I was a little angry how casually she was taking this entire subject. "Don't you want to know if I drink blood?"

She winced at the word. I remembered what a tiny bit of blood could do to her. "Well, Jacob said something about that."

"What did Jacob say?" My voice was lined with a mocking edge, but she didn't seem to notice it.

"He said you didn't…hunt people. He said your family wasn't supposed to be dangerous because you only hunted animals."

"He said we weren't dangerous." The Quileute legends obviously didn't illustrate my species very well if they made their people think we weren't dangerous.

"Not exactly." She admitted sheepishly. "He said you weren't _supposed _to be dangerous. But the Quileutes still didn't want you on their land, just in case."

I tried not to focus on anything in particular, specifically Bella's face. My eyes settled out the windshield, but I wasn't really looking at the road that was flashing beneath the tires of my car.

"So he was right?" She interrupted my thoughts. "About not hunting people?" She faltered near the end.

"The Quileutes have a long memory," I confirmed. She settled back into her seat, clearly more comfortable knowing that little detail was true. That bothered me a little, her not comprehending how large the danger to her was.

"Don't let that make you complacent, though." I warned. That was what worried me the most. If she let her guard down too much…I didn't know what might happen. "They're right to keep their distance from us. We are still dangerous."

"I don't understand." Her brow was wrinkled in concentration, trying to pick out the meaning in my words.

"We try. We're usually very good at what we do. Sometimes we make mistakes." Sometimes was a bit of an understatement. "Me, for example, allowing myself to be alone with you."

"This is a mistake?" The sadness in her voice was overwhelming no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"A very dangerous one." I verified.

Pushing her away was nearly impossible. I was torn between her safety and my happiness. On one hand, I wanted to be close to her so badly my corpse for a heart twisted in agony over not being near her. On the other, the fragrance in the car swirled around my head making it nearly impossible to be close to her. It was drawing out the inner monster that I had worked so hard to lock away. I struggled to keep a cool head.

"Tell me more." She pleaded suddenly. I was startled by the change in the atmosphere and her voice was so pleading and desperate. I couldn't say no.

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me why you hunt animals instead of people?" The desperation still was under ever word she spoke. I wondered what it was I had done to make her feel so sad. There was a sudden salty smell that mixed with her aroma in a wonderfully wicked way. I glanced over to see what had changed. There were tears threatening to overflow from her saddened eyes. What had I said?

I still wanted to know what she was reacting to, but I answered her question instead. "I don't _want_ to be a monster."

"But animals aren't enough?" The depression and desperation was overpowered by curiosity.

I didn't answer right away. I strained to find a fitting metaphor, one she would understand. "I can't be sure, of course, but I'd compare it to living on tofu and soy milk; we call ourselves vegetarians, out little inside joke. It doesn't completely satiate the hunger – or rather thirst. But it keeps us strong enough to resist." I paused and remembered Bella's lack of fear around me. "Most of the time." I added ominously. "Sometimes it's more difficult than others."

She gulped in a deep breath of air or of fear or another emotion I couldn't place. "Is it very difficult for you now?" She asked timidly.

I sighed. Finally she was starting to get the energy it was taking me to just stay in my seat. "Yes." I breathed.

"But you're not hungry now." She stated factually.

I looked at her unmoving expression of confidence quizzically. "Why do you think that?"

"Your eyes." She said. "I told you I had a theory. I've noticed people – men in particular – are crabbier when they're hungry."

She never ceased to amaze me. I didn't know humans could notice little details like my eyes turning colour as I went longer without feeding. It made my heart leap to know how closely she observed me. I laughed despite myself. "You are observant, aren't you?"

She closed her eyes momentarily, but it was too long for her just to be blinking. A small smile tugged the corners of her mouth up. I wanted so badly to know what she was thinking. She opened her eyes and looked over at me,

"Were you hunting this weekend, with Emmett?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." I answered right away, but I hesitated before continuing. Would she be terribly offended if I told her how badly I wanted to stay…? "I didn't want to leave, but it was necessary. It's a bit easier to be around you when I'm not thirsty."

Nothing in her expression changed. "Why didn't you want to leave?"

I knew this question would come. It worried me what she would think if I told her the real reason. If she thought I was overly obsessive or stalking her…. Something told me that she would be completely fine with whatever I said. Bella wasn't what anyone would call average.

"It makes me…anxious…to be away from you." Her eyes widened with my confession. "I wasn't joking when I asked you to try not to fall in the ocean or get run over last Thursday. I was distracted all weekend, worrying about you. And after what happened tonight, I'm surprised that you did make it through a whole weekend unscathed." I shook my head when I thought about what could have happened. An image of Bella struggling for air while being dragged under the surface of the water came into my head. I shook my head again trying to rid myself of it. I glanced over at her fingers that were interlaced and I remembered the scrapes I saw on her hands at dinner. "Well, not totally unscathed." I added.

"What?" She asked, shocked. I could tell she was running through a checklist in her mind of that past weekend.

"Your hands." I said, nodding towards them. She sighed in annoyance.

"I fell." She explained.

"That's what I thought." I smiled. "I suppose, being you, it could have been much worse – and that possibility tormented me the entire time I was away. It was a very long three days. I really got on Emmett's nerves." I tried very hard not to remember the little cougar and it's mother I had inadvertently killed that weekend. Its blue eyes seemed to be stuck in my mind, though.

Bella's voice pulled me back to reality. "Three days? Didn't you just get back today?"

"No, we got back Sunday." I answered, glad of the distraction.

"Then why weren't any of you in school?" She stormed. Frustration and Anger colour her words, but I couldn't help but detect a small amount of…disappointment?

"Well, you asked me if the sun hurt me, and it doesn't. But I can't go out in the sunlight – at least not where anyone can see." I explained.

"Why?" The frustration evaporated and the same curious tone from before entered her voice.

"I'll show you sometime." I answered before I had time to think. Chances were I would be gone in the morning and I would never see her again. I mentally hit myself for making a promise that I knew I couldn't keep. Bella was thoughtfully silent as she tried to figure something out in her head.

"You might have called me." She said finally.

I was confused again. She was one of the few people with that power. "But I knew you were safe."

"But _I _didn't know where _you_ were. I –" She stopped abruptly and hid her gaze from mine.

"What?" I was intrigued despite myself. I would give anything to know what she was thinking.

The familiar red began to creep its way up her neck and settled on her cheeks. "I didn't like it." She confessed. "Not seeing you. It makes me anxious, too." Her entire face turned crimson.

I was torn again. I knew I couldn't let this happen, it was like a deer falling in love with a wolf. Only bad things could come out of that relationship and eventually, nature would take its course. I knew that but I wanted it to happen so badly. The anguish was clearly illustrated on my face.

"Ah." I said finally. "This is wrong."

"What did I say?"

"Don't you see Bella? It's only thing to make myself miserable, but a wholly other thing for you to be involved." I could handle the pain of being away from her. If it what was best for Bella, I would handle it. I turned away from her face. "I don't want to hear that you feel that way." Now I was not only lying to her, but I was lying to myself. "It's wrong. It's not safe. I'm dangerous, Bella – please grasp that," I pleaded.

"No."

I wanted to drop it, to give in to the side of myself that was ruled by me heart. But I wouldn't allow it. "I'm serious." I growled.

"So am I," she retorted. "I told you, it doesn't matter what you are. It's too late."

Her final words rang in my head like a bell toll. "Never say that." I hissed. It wasn't true. I could control my instincts and myself.

She recoiled like I had hit her with a whip. She bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. I prayed she would loosen the grip. I didn't know if I could be stopped if it was out in the open. I didn't know if it would be too late.

The silence over took the small car and enveloped us both. It was maddening to not have her 'voice' in my head. Telling me every thought that crossed her mind. What she thought of me. What she was feeling. It was driving me insane.

"What are you thinking?" I asked. My voice still held some of the anger from before and she just shook her head. I looked towards her but her gaze was fixated on the road.

The strange salty smell began to strengthen. "Are you crying?" I asked, disgusted with myself. The tears rolled their way down her delicate face. I wanted to reach out and comfort her. I wanted to tell her that I didn't mean any of it.

"No." She said, but her voice broke and betrayed her voice.

Strangely, the urge to comfort her took over my brain. Against my better judgment I reached my hand out towards her delicate face. I wanted to wipe away the salty water and bring back the brilliant smile that I had grown to adore. Stranger still, I wanted to taste that salty water. Would it have her essences attached? Would it taste just as good as her blood, or would it be filled with the sadness that created them. I reached out but the warmth of her skin began to call to me. Combined with the aroma that took over the car I could barely hold myself back. I withdrew my hand and placed it back on the wheel.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I was sorry for the words that made her cry and that I couldn't even console her afterwards.

The silence began again. Every once and a while I looked over at her sitting merely inches from me. Her eyes were glued to the road but the rest of her expression was concentrated…thoughtful… it tugged on a memory in the back of my head. I tried desperately to remember it.

It hit me. It was the same face she held when the…_men_…were about to…_attack_…her. Even thinking of them sent my blood boiling – figuratively, of course.

"Tell me something," I asked. I was struggling to keep the fury from thinking of the assailants from my voice.

"Yes?" She replied.

"What were you thinking tonight, just before I came around the corner? I couldn't understand your expression – you didn't look that scared, you looked like you were concentrating very hard on something." I desperately wanted to know and because I couldn't pluck the answer from her mind like I did with everyone else, I had to ask.

"I was trying to remember how to incapacitate an attacker – you know, self defense. I was going to smash his nose into his brain." The idea seemed pleasing to her.

"You were going to fight him?" I questioned. It was absurd. She was nearly two feet shorter than him. It wouldn't have lasted long. The idea was repulsive. "Did you think of running?"

"I fall down a lot when I run," she said sheepishly.

"What about the screaming part?" Anything, anything at all, would have been better than trying to fight them.

"I was getting to that part," she said. She was agitated.

I shook my head slowly. This was going to much, much harder than I originally thought. "You were right – I'm defiantly fighting fate trying to keep you alive."

She sighed again for some reason unknown to me. I decided it was best not to ask.

I slowed down as we reached the sign announcing 'Welcome to Forks.' It would be best if I weren't arrested by Bella's father for breaking the speed limit. I wasn't sure my "built-in radar detector" was working with Bella distracting me.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked when she noticed I had turned onto her street.

"Yes – I have a paper due, too." I promised. "I'll save you a seat at lunch." I smiled and her heart rate increased a few beats.

I pulled up in front of her house and parked my car by the curb. Chief Swan wasn't paying any attention to the road; he was too consumed by a baseball game on TV. I expected her to leap out of the car and flee up to the front door. Instead, she just sat in the passenger seat.

"Do you _promise_ to be there tomorrow?" Her eyes were on mine, flashing bits of fire.

I smiled again. "I promise." I reassured her.

Bella looked me over and nodded slowly. She pulled my leather jacket off her shoulders and inhaled from the collar. A smug smile crossed my lips before concern over took it. The moment her skin made contact with the air, it shot up into goose bumps. I supposed it was colder than I thought.

"You can keep it – you don't have a jacket for tomorrow." I said, not taking the jacket. She pushed it towards me anyway.

"I don't want to have to explain to Charlie."

Parents did always make things harder than they needed to be. Or at least that's what I read about. Carlisle and Esme didn't hinder any decision of mine. "Oh, right." I grinned.

Her hand reached hesitantly for the door handle. I was prepared to say goodbye but I looked past her and towards the forest by her house. The dark shadows obscured the winding path that lead into the heart of the woods. It reminded me of Alice's vision about our upcoming visitors.

"Bella?" I said hesitantly. Her head whipped around sending a large wave of her aroma towards me.

"Yes?" she asked, her eyes alight with excitement.

"Will you promise me something?" I was using her excitement against her, hoping she would fall for my word trap.

"Yes," She promised.

"Don't go into the woods alone."

She didn't even bother to hide the confusion. "Why?"

I looked right past her and towards the forest that loomed like a dark shadow over her house. "I'm not always the most dangerous thing out there." I confessed. "Let's leave it at that."

A shiver racked her small frame. I hoped it was because of the cold rather than my words. The small movement stirred the air in the car up filling it till the air was saturated with her scent. She needed to leave before I couldn't handle it anymore. I regretted this.

"Whatever you say." She agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I dismissed.

"Tomorrow, then." She turned and opened the door, flooding it with cool, fresh air. It cleared my head a bit and made her smell more tolerable. I wanted to try something…

"Bella?" I asked again. I leaned towards her, testing my limits with every inch. She turned around and the tip of her nose was merely inches from mine. Her heart sped up rapidly before it stopped abruptly. Within seconds it pattered out a disjointed rhythm.

"Sleep well." I said simply. If I could have read her mind, I was sure it would have gone blank. Her face became dazed and she stepped awkwardly out of the car, clinging to the doorframe for help. I chortled quietly. It was good to know I could still 'dazzle her.'

I watched her walk very carefully to the front door. I started the engine just as she turned around to wave goodbye. I was around the corner when I heard the front door shut.

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Hope you liked it, if not...well then you don't have to read it :)  
Hope it wasn't terribily hard to read  
Review Please :)

-Hayley 


	11. Theory Part 2

_Short Chapter :( Sorry about that, but there wasn't much to write. I'm sure everyone is eager for the next one (more Bella and Edward goodness) but it may take a while thanks to exams. I have now decided i am a review whore and i really want about 120 by the time i post next chapter. Work with me on this one people. Review. (ps, my goal for the entire story is about 300...sooooo)_

**_I own nothing to do with Twilight or it's amazing vampiric (and human) characters. If, by some small chance, there is such thing as vampires and, by an even smaller chance, there is an Edward Cullen out there, i shall spend the rest of my days to become his Bella Swan. But for now, They all belong to Stephanie Meyer :)_**

_As always, i give you some mood music - although if anyone actually listens to it... i don't know - and for this chapter i particularly like Green Eyes or Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay. Or you can download some jazz by Miles Davis_

_- Hayley_

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I heard the door slam before I turned the corner. I gave the engine a little more gas once I knew Bella was safe inside her house. The car still swam with her scent and without her there, I let my control slip a little bit. I took a deep breath and savored the wonderful aroma that almost caressed my lungs.

I drove quickly down the darkened street. Many of the lights were still on in the houses, casting long shadows across the road. That confused me until I looked down at the clock. The glowing green numbers on the dash read 8:00. My brow knitted together in confusion. Had it really been that short of time? Being with Bella made time indistinct and I easily lost track of it.

Trapped in my thoughts, I barely registered turning onto the hidden driveway that led deep into the woods, towards my house. When the white mansion came into view, I remembered what had transpired between the rest of my family and I on the porch earlier that night. I cringed inwardly and regretted not taking a longer time driving home to delay the hurricane of questions that would undoubtedly come.

I parked the car in the driveway, completely aware of the thoughts directed towards my mind. I did my best to ignore them and began to exit my Volvo.

Before I even shut the door, Alice came flying out of the house. She locked onto me with her dull gold eyes – darkened with fear – and flew to my side, trapping me in a hug. I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame for a quick second before she pulled back and studied me with her eyes.

"Is everything okay…?" She trailed off, leaving little to the imagination as to what she thought had happened.

I let a smile reassure her. "Bella is safe at home," I answered and an unnecessary gush of air left Alice's lungs. She instantly loosened her tense muscles and relaxed. She pulled away and flashed her teeth in a grin.

"You have a lot to explain," she sang lightly before skipping off into the house. Sometimes I thought my family had a little too much fun at my expense. Or Alice could have just been happy that her vision didn't come true, but it was most likely the first option.

I walked at a very slow pace into the house. I could hear the impatient thoughts coming from everyone inside.

Rosalie was absolutely fuming and in any other circumstance, it would have been amusing. Unfortunately, this was too serious a matter to mock her for her vanity. She was angry at me for brushing her off so hastily hours before. According to her I was a selfish moron only concerned with stupid humans and had little or no regard for my own family.

I longed to argue for my sake, but there was no need to start off what was sure to be a very long conversation on a note of anger. I would need everyone in a good mood when I told them that we would have to move and go into hiding for a while. An extremely good mood.

When I entered the foyer, I saw my siblings curled up on the to couches in the living room. Esme was sitting next to Alice tensely and Carlisle was standing with his arms crossed in front of the fireplace. His thoughts where in a strange place, back to when he changed me. The picture in his mind was me withering in pain and screaming as the fire burned though my veins. Even the sight was painful. Nothing would ever compare to the agony that I felt those three days.

When he noticed I entered the room, he uncrossed his arms and cleared his mind. I braced myself for the torrent of questions that was sure to come.

"Edward," he began. "What happened?"

All eyes turned to me. I took a deep breath before beginning to summarize what had happened in the pervious hours. When I came to the part where Bella would have played victim in a dark crime, Esme gasped and covered her mouth. Rosalie's eyes tightened and her lips compressed into a thin line. I glanced sharply at Alice. Her innocent expression told me she hadn't given the family every detail about her vision.

Carlisle's doctor side took over before I could continue the story. "Is she okay now?" He asked hurriedly. Carlisle's compassion made it more difficult for him to hear about people being harmed, even if he had only met that person very briefly in a crowded emergency room.

"Bella's fine," I replied quietly. "Not a scratch on her," I said, "that she didn't inflict upon herself." I added as I thought of the scraps on her palms. "She's home with her father right now."

Carlisle and Esme both let out a sigh of relief just as Alice had. Rosalie wore a sour expression that looked inexplicably jealous.

"What did you do with them?" she asked suddenly.

My eyes bore into Rosalie's, shocked. I hadn't expected her to contribute to a conversation based solely on Bella's well being. She began to stare at me with a furious and determined glare.

"Who, Rosalie?" Carlisle interjected sharply.

I knew exactly what she was thinking. Her fiancée's face appeared into her head and her lip curled over her teeth. I was going to explain, to save Rosalie the indignation, but she beat me to it.

"The worthless, malicious, horrific _rapists_," she hissed. Her eyes flashed with fire at the last word. Jasper winced with the overwhelming anger flowing from Rosalie's being.

"I left them alive," I answered. I knew that was what she was heading towards. Because of the circumstances of her death, Rosalie had a particular aversion to preying men. "Although one of them may have broken a wrist diving out of the way of my car." I added wryly. Her eyes narrowed farther and Jasper gave another visual shudder on the couch.

She let out a low hiss of frustration and fury and was about to protest my decision to let them live, but Carlisle stepped in and silenced her with a fatherly look. She slumped back on the couch – defeated – and rest her hand within Emmett's. Everyone's attention was turned back towards me.

"Edward." Alice broke the silence that engulfed the room. "You have to tell them."

The meaning of her words confused me. I thought I had already told them everything that had ensued in the previous hours. I probed into her mind to find the reason behind the words.

_"His dad is one of the Quileute elders," she watched me carefully, "We went for a walk – and he was telling me some old legends – trying to scare me, I think. He told me one…." She stopped abruptly. _

_"Go on." I prompted. _

_"About vampires," Bella whispered. _

I inhaled sharply.

"What is it?" Carlisle's fatherly, stern tone took over his voice. "Alice? Edward?"

I took another breath. So we would be packed up by midnight and gone before the light of the sun could touch the gray clouds that would surely cover the skies in the morning. "She knows." I admitted.

I cast my eyes downwards, much like a petulant child would know he'd done something wrong and apologized a million times without really meaning it. I didn't mean it. I _liked_ it. In a sick way, I enjoyed being open with Bella.

"Knows what?" Jasper asked, sensing the defiance and panic coming from me. The anger and worry leaked through his expression and his voice was clipped.

_Edward…if you're saying what I think your saying…_

I nodded in conformation. "Everything." I said for the benefit of everyone else.

There was a sudden outburst and Rosalie jumped up from her stiff position on the couch. Her fists were clenched and shaking in rage. "I knew you could be stupid, Edward," she spat, "But never have I ever thought you irresponsible and careless! Her _father_ is the _police chief_!"

Her yelling was as far Jasper would let her go. If she had her way, I probably wouldn't have been standing. Luckily for me, Emmett put a steadying hand on his wife's shaking shoulder but his expression clearly said he agreed with her.

"It wasn't as if I _told_ her!" I yelled, my own temper flaring in response to Rosalie's. "And I'm not the only irresponsible one in this family! How many times have we had to move because of Emmett's stupidity? Or Jaspers inability to control himself!"

"Edward," Carlisle warned me sharply. My temper was immediately quenched and I stared at the path of destruction left in its wake. Emmett was glaring at me in disbelief and Jasper was sitting on the couch, his face a mask of shock, pain and anger. Guilt engulfed me immediately. As if I needed to make things any harder for Jasper.

"Sorry," I mumbled out an apology. "I didn't mean it."

He nodded grimly in acceptance of my words and turned back to Alice. She placed a comforting hand on his back and smiled before glaring at me.

_That was uncalled for_

Emmett turned towards our parents, a small smile on his face. It wasn't his normal grin, as it didn't reach his eyes. The topaz was darkened and cold. Angry.

"Do we have any houses arranged? Alaska or even Canada…?" He trailed off.

"We have that small cottage near Denali, but after last time I don't think Edward is willing to go back." Esme replied. I didn't bother to remind her that I was there recently; the memory still brought back some pain in her eyes. "There is the one in Quebec that we haven't lived in recently and then there is Maine…although that one isn't completely furnished."

"Quebec is nice this time of year," Emmett agreed. "Although talking in French still gives me a headache."

Esme nodded. "I'll have everything ready by the time we arrive."

"No." Everyone's head whipped around to look at Carlisle. His arms were crossed again. "We aren't moving." His voice rang with finality.

A small gasp escaped Rosalie. "W-what? Why!" She spluttered.

"Because I don't believe we need to," he said simply.

"But she _knows_! We've moved for much less than this, why is Edward so special?" jealousy was flaring, "We had to move when that idiotic boy fell in love with Alice and Jasper _threatened_ him!"

"Rosalie," Carlisle cautioned her. "I don't think Bella is a threat. She won't tell."

Suspicion arose in me. He knew something I didn't and he wasn't about to tell me what that something was. I probed his mind gently but came up with nothing.

"Why, Carlisle?" I asked, repeating Rosalie's question.

"Edward, don't worry yourself about it," he was sidestepping my question. Carlisle was a terrible liar when it came to us, especially Esme. I glanced around the room to find a bemused expression on everyone's face.

Except one.

"Alice." I said, turning to her. "Tell me."

"You're going to be angry," she warned me. I tried to glance into her mind but apparently reciting the pledge of allegiance in several different languages was more important than what we were talking about.

"Please, Alice. I'll stay calm. Jasper can help if I get…get out of hand," Jasper nodded in reassurance, eager to find out what the big secret was. Alice took a deep breath and glanced at Carlisle.

"He deserves to know," he said in defeat. I grinned triumphantly.

"Fine." She snapped. "I don't know how to say this, so I'll just show you," she closed her eyes.

"No fair," Emmett whined.

I smiled quickly in his directed and closed my eyes like Alice had done. I concentrated on her mind only and blocked out the complaints from my siblings.

_Bella was laying down on a bed, but she wasn't sleeping. Her hands were tight and every muscle tensed. Sweat plastered her chestnut hair to her forehead. A quick thrash told me she was in agony. The vision went in closer until it felt as if I was standing beside the strange bed. An alabaster hand went down and stroked the hair away from her brow. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. I was terrified, although whoever was in the vision seemed to expect it as they didn't shy away. Bella's eyes were wide in panic. They weren't the chocolate brown I had come to expect but a bloody red. Vivid as rubies shining in sun. She screamed in pain and her back arched. _

_"Edward, please help me," were the only words that escaped her lips._

With a growl, I withdrew from her mind and my eyes snapped open. Everyone was staring at me, wide-eyed. Alice just nodded grimly. Waves of calm were the only thing keeping me from breaking every piece of furniture in the house.

"That won't happen," I vowed. "I won't let it happen."

"Let what happen?" Esme asked me gently.

"She _will not_ become one of us." I spat. "I don't damn her to an eternity of night."

The room went quiet and all eyes flickered to Alice and Carlisle.

"When did you see this?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm, even with Jasper in the room. I could see him stressed with the capacity of anger, but it was hard for me to sympathize with Bella's safety on the line.

"Today, only a few hours ago," she whispered. "I went straight to Carlisle and told him everything. I thought it only fair for him to know."

I nodded, but the rage flared again, "And you thought it unnecessary to tell me?"

"Edward," Carlisle started, "I thought it was best for things to play out how they would have if you didn't see the vision. I just want your life to be as normal as possible in the given situation," his voice all of a sudden became very wary.

"Normal?" I inquired. "And what, pray tell, is normal about being a 106 year old teenager who was supposed to die in 1918?" The cold fury in my voice was much more deadly than any amount of volume. Jasper promptly left the room. "I have to feed on animal blood so I don't kill innocent people! What is _normal_ about that?"

"I said in our situation, Edward." He was staring straight at me, unperturbed by my words. Esme was staring straight at me, wide-eyed with shock. I didn't want to hurt them anymore; I had done enough damage already. I calmed myself, letting the anger bubble and churn in my chest until it dissipated.

"I'll be back soon." I said without emotion.

I rushed out of the house before anyone could object to my decision. I ran as fast as I could into the forest, leaving the white mansion far behind.

I didn't know how many times I had turned, or in what direction I was going, I just knew I wanted to get as far away as possible.

I stopped in a perfectly round clearing. In any other circumstance, it would have been beautiful. The rare moonlight was filtering through the leaves casting great shadows on the emerald grass. Pinks and yellows dotted the ground, littering it with color; the petals almost glowed in the silvery moonlight. A faint trickling sound of a stream babbled in the background.

In my fury, it was hideous. Of course it was my luck to stumble on a place that looked as if it was straight out of the Pearly Gates. My very presence was spoiling its beauty and purity.

I roared in frustration. Was there nothing I could be around that wouldn't be blackened by my proximity? I ran back into the forest and stopped in a non-descript area. The trees rose like great brown pillars, tapering off to a point far above my head. I reached for a branch from the nearest tree.

It splintered like a toothpick beneath my hand. I gave a grim smile of satisfaction and reached out for another one. It too, was dust between my fingers.

I glanced around the forest and located the biggest tree within my sight. It was a fifty-foot white pine – at least ten feet in diameter. I dug my hand into the trunk, the bark and wood giving away easily. With a great heave, I uprooted the giant tree and slammed it into the ground. The sound shook the forest and sent birds flying in a frenzied pattern into the sky. The silence that followed was deafening.

All my anger was gone, I sat down on the recently deceased tree and put my hands into my head. What kind of terrible creature was I, bringing Bella into my world? The world of shadows and darkness, where there wasn't a sun to chase away nightmares.

I sat for hours without moving and I debated with myself the entire time. Bringing Bella into my world would have been like dropping a raw steak in a tank filled with sharks. There was no way in all of Hell that that lone steak would survive, even if there were one or two sharks intent on keeping it safe.

But I didn't _want_ to let her go. She had become a reason for me to get up and go to the prison the government called school. I wasn't sure if there would be much reason to get up at all if she left as abruptly as she came into my life.

I mentally kicked myself the moment I thought that. I was selfish and I always would be. If I couldn't see that Bella's safety was more important than my happiness, then I didn't deserve her anyway.

But…it was Bella…

&&&

After I made up my mind, I went back to the house. No one was in sight when I closed the door. Everyone had retreated to their rooms or, in Carlisle's case, their studies. Their minds were all deliberately on different subjects – they knew I was home.

I ran to my room and quietly shut the door.

Carlisle came into my room shortly after I had laid down on my couch. My eyes were closed and I didn't bother to open them. Maybe if I didn't, it would all go away. This would only be a nightmare…if only I could sleep.

"What are you going to do?" he asked me. I didn't open my eyes. It was all just part of the dream…

"I'm going to stay away. It will hurt her, yes, but I can't afford-- I can't _let_ that happen to her."

There was a moment of silence. I could tell he was debating, although I couldn't see it. "I think that is unwise."

My eyes snapped open and in a half second, I was standing. "What?" I asked incredulously.

"I think it would be unwise to leave now."

"You heard what is going to happen to her if we stay. I can't let it go that far." I exclaimed. Carlisle's face twisted into regret and pain at my words before smoothing out into his usual composed mask. I felt a twinge of guilt. "I don't regret what you did to me." I added quietly. I knew that was his main fear from my reaction. I could see it as clearly on his face as I did in his mind.

A relieved smile pulled his mouth up. "You're forgetting something."

I went through every detail of my inner debate. Every argument I carefully picked apart before turning back to Carlisle, utterly confused.

Another smile flashed across his face. "The vision Alice had of Bella a few days ago."

Realization flooded my brain.

"It didn't occur to you, did it?" He asked. He sounded as if he was teaching a child, his voice patient. I nodded slowly, stunned I hadn't thought of that. "You changed what should have happened tonight, Edward. The future isn't always set in stone."

Another type of dread had settled into my mind. "But what if I hurt her accidentally? It's too dangerous for her to be around me." I felt as lost as a child and it was starting to frustrate me. I usually had every answer and a fallback plan for a backup plan. I didn't like being so blind and confused.

"Don't push yourself, and most importantly, don't push Bella. Give her a choice."

"So you're saying…"

"Stay. If you feel yourself starting to slip, then leave, but for now, I think you should stay. But, ultimately, it's your choice, not mine. Just think over what I said." He exited the room, leaving me with a lot to think about.

It was nearly morning and the sun was just starting to peak over the trees behind the gray haze. It was almost time for school so I got dressed, not registering what I threw on. Something Alice or Esme had bought me, no doubt.

I was about to walk out of the room when my tan leather jacket caught my eye. My memory flashed back to the previous night. Bella sitting across the table in the jacket, breathing in the scent from the collar. I picked it up hastily and walked out of my room. She forgot her jacket in Jessica's car and it was – presumably – cold outside.

I snatched up my car keys and was about to head out the door when Alice jumped out in front of me.

"There might be problem with Saturday," she told me.

Saturday…Saturday…why was that important…?

"Seattle." Alice told me, raising an eyebrow. _Don't tell me you forgot about your date with Bella?_

"No, no. Of course not." I muttered. I _had_ forgotten, but the past few days, I had been a bit more preoccupied with planning to save her from the street scum in Port Angeles. "What's the matter with Saturday?"

"It's going to be sunny."

My heart sunk. I couldn't cancel on her. What if she decided to go to the dance after all? Just the thought of Mike Newton groping her on the dance floor repulsed me.

Alice had skipped to a new subject when her eyes widened in horror. The blood – figuratively, of course – drained from her face.

"What, Alice?" I asked. Not _another _vision.

"You aren't driving us?" She asked. She sounded disappointed. I laughed when I noticed her eyes were fixed on the hand I held my keys with.

"Nope."

"But I hate Rosalie's driving. And her car! Urgh!" She whined.

I laughed again and she shot me a glare.

"Sorry, Alice. I have to do, what I have to do."

I smiled and walked out the front door, leaving a sulking Alice behind. Just before I started the car, I heard a jubilant cheer from Rosalie.

* * *

_Gives some insight on Carlisle and Edwards relationship. I'm not sure i described it well, but i tried.  
Thanks to my awesome beta **not done baking**, without whom, my story would be a mess of bad grammar and typos_

_- Hayley_


	12. Interrogations Part 1

_First I would like to thank my awesome beta, **notdonebaking**. She is quite brilliant, isn't she? Without here, lets just say i'd get a lot more flames about my grammer...and spelling :( Go read her stories. They are better than mine._

_Ahh, the wonderfulness (yes, that is a word...and if it isn't, it is now) of exam break. You know, minus the exams. I'm pretty sure I failed my math one soOoOoOoo it might be a while until I update... :P Don't worry, i'll lock myself in my room if my parents try to take my baby (my computer) away from me. I'm not obsessed. I swear. Don't put me away in the padded room again :(_

**_Twilight doesn't belong to me. It never had belonged to me and never will belong to me. Dialouge, Edward, the rest of the unimportant characters, and plot all belong to Stephanie Meyer. i only own my computer. Other than that...i live in a box. A very nice refrigerator box. Don't ask me what i plug my computer in to._**

_Errrrmmmm Oh yes, this is, again, only half of the chapter. I'm sorry for spreading it out, but i can only type so much. After 10 pages, it gets a bit ridiculous. And my computer complains from the lag. Sorry about this - the next chappy will be up very soon. Oh and listen to Ben Harper - Waiting on an Angel. It's amazing and reminds me a bit of Cats Stevens. I don't know why... anywho. Read and PLEASE review. I shall only post the next chapter if i get 140 reviews. bahahaha, i'm evil :3_

_- Hayley_

* * *

The air was thick with a groggy fog. Even with my heightened vampire senses, I could barely see ten feet in front of my car. I moved along more sluggishly than normal – about fifty miles per hour in a thirty zone – as I made my way to Bella's house. I flipped on the heat, preparing the car for a human and sped up a little bit. I a bit was eager to see her again.

I made sure her father was gone before I parked my car in her driveway. I could hear her quiet footsteps around the kitchen and down her front hall as she rushed out the door. She didn't notice me at first. She hurried down the path and stopped dead in her tracks.

Her heart fluttered before stopping when she saw my silver Volvo. It picked up again in a surprisingly fast pace and an inviting blush rushed to her cheeks.

I got out of the car and was immediately hit by the strong aroma that surrounded her. Luckily we were outside and it was dulled somewhat by the other smells in the air. I ran around the car, not bothering to use a human speed, and pulled the passenger door open for her.

Don't push her…Carlisle's voice rung in my head.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" I asked. I was giving her the choice, as Carlisle had advised me to do. Half of me prayed she would say no…but it was the much smaller half of my mind. I smiled at her dumbfounded expression.

"Yes, thank you." She walked over to the car and got in. As she passed me, her fragrance assaulted my brain like a torpedo. Strangely enough, it wasn't as strong as the first day…perhaps I was being desensitized. Of course it was still enough for my jaw to tighten against the monster locked up inside me.

When she was safely in the car, I ran around to the other side and got in the drivers seat. My inhuman speed wasn't as disconcerting to her as I thought it should have been. I started the car and glanced at her jacket-less state.

"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something." I motioned to my tan leather jacket that was hanging on the headrest. If Bella got sick, God knows what could happen to her. With her luck, it would most likely end up being the Bubonic Plague.

"I'm not quite that delicate," she said. She pulled the jacket on to her lap anyway and pulled her arms into it backwards. I suppressed a laugh. If she only knew how delicate she was. She inconspicuously sniffed the collar that was resting near her neck and smiled contently. Unfortunately, me watching that action, made my eyes linger near her throat. The blood so close to the surface called to me with each throb of her heart. The scent in the car was nearly overwhelming with my eyes fixed on her throat. She didn't notice and I reluctantly pulled my eyes away and pushed the urges back in my mind.

"Aren't you?" I asked darkly. It was almost too low for her to hear and I was saying it more for my own benefit. If I lost control, one flick of my finger could kill her. I reminded myself of that and willed my hands to stay on the steering wheel.

The silence was awkward as I was waiting for the unbidden stream of questions to start. Surely she had something to ask me after what had transpired last night? She remained silent and looked expectant as if waiting for me to speak. Apparently, the awkwardness was tangible for her as well.

"What, no twenty questions today?" I smirked. She let out a small breath of air and smiled in response.

"Do my questions bother you?" she seemed relieved that the tension in the car was gone.

"Not as much as your reactions do." I hid my seriousness with a light tone. If only she knew how much her reactions perturbed me. A normal human wouldn't ever want to see me again after learning my secret. They probably would have called the FBI or CIA and have them arrest my family for government testing. But, alas, Bella was far from normal.

She frowned. "Do I react badly?"

"No, that's the problem. You take everything so coolly – it's unnatural." Speaking of unnatural…. "It makes me wonder what you're really thinking" Wonder was a bit of an understatement. Obsess was a better word.

"I always tell you want I'm thinking," she defended herself.

"You edit."

"Not very much."

"Enough to drive me insane."

"You don't want to hear it," she mumbled. I had to strain my ears to catch every word. There was a thin coating of pain over every word and it nearly broke my dead heart to hear agony coming from an angel's mouth.

I didn't say anything in response, afraid to let my emotions take charge. Who knows what would happen if teenage hormones took control – particularly because they hadn't had free reign since I was human.

I turned into the school parking lot when Bella chose to speak.

"Where's the rest of your family?" she asked as realization dawned on her that I usually had a full car.

"They took Rosalie's car." I shrugged, suppressing a grin. I could imagine Alice pouting, her arms crossed, as Rosalie happily drove them all to school. At least it would maybe help me get back on Rosalie's good side.

I parked next to her shiny M3 convertible. Bella stared, her mouth open.

"Ostentatious, isn't it?" I asked, chuckling quietly at her stunned expression.

"Um, wow," she breathed. "If she has _that_, why does she ride with you?"

I decided against mentioning that we had many more expensive cars parked in our garage at home. "Like I said, it's ostentatious. We _try _to blend in."

"You don't succeed," she laughed as she got out of the car. I followed her example and shut the car door behind me. "So why did Rosalie drive today if it's more conspicuous?"

"Hadn't you noticed? I'm breaking _all_ the rules now." I met up with her at the front of my car and walked with her onto the campus. It didn't escape my notice how close our bodies were – how closely I could feel the heat emanating from her skin. I basked in the feeling of warmth. I wanted to grab her hand and let the heat spread to my core, but I wasn't sure my control was perfected enough. Actually, I was positive that I didn't have anywhere near that much control. I would have to be content with the three inches that seperated us.

"Why do you have cars like that at all," she mused, "if you're looking for privacy?"

"An indulgence. We all like to drive fast." I let my eyes light up at the word fast. It was a liberating feeling and the faster we drove – or ran – the freer we felt. The cars were the best we could do in the human world. It wasn't as if we could run everywhere. That would have been like putting a flashing sign up reading "Supernatural" over all of our heads.

"Figures," she muttered under her breath.

_They arrived at school together! Are they dating? Why wouldn't she tell me that?_

I was aware of Jessica's consciousness as we approached the overhang of the cafeteria roof. She was waiting with Bella's jacket, staring at us incredulously as we approached together. If her eyes popped out any farther, they might have fallen out.

_How does a pathetic, mousy new girl land the hottest guy in school! I had complete rights over him. I saw him first and she still expects us to be FRIENDS! Ugh, what a…_

"Hey, Jessica." Bella greeted lightly. She was completely oblivious to the spiteful thoughts churning in her supposed friends head. "Thanks for remembering."

_Oh my god! She's wearing his jacket! Wow. They must be dating. Does she like him? Like…like him, like him? This is the best gossip ever! Still unfair how she got him…but maybe some rumors could put him back on the market…_

Jessica handed over her jacket without a word, her thoughts now centering on how she was going to extract information from Bella and how she would twist it into her own meanings.

"Good morning, Jessica." I said as politely as possible. I didn't like the thoughts she was having, but there was little I could do about it.

"Er…hi." Her mind went blank and I allowed a small smile. It was amusing, the effect I had on some teenage girls. I suppose that was what Bella meant by 'dazzling'. Her eyes shifted back to Bella and they exchanged a look.

_How does he DO that?_

"I guess I'll see you in Trig," she said cheerily before giving Bella one more meaningful glance. _And you will tell me everything._

"Yeah, I'll see you then," Bella called off to Jessica's back.

"What are you going to tell her?" I asked quietly. This could make things a bit more complicated.

"Hey, I though you couldn't read my mind!" she hissed.

"I can't," I said, very confused. Why would she think I could…unless she was thinking the same thing as Jessica…? Realization made me smile. "However, I can read hers – " unfortunately "– she'll be waiting to ambush you in class."

She groaned and gave me back my jacket, which I took willingly into my arms. It still retained some of the warmth and her wonderful perfume.

"So what are you going to tell her?" I was immensely curious.

"A little help?" she begged, "What does she want to know?"

I grinned wickedly and shook my head. It would be more fun to hear the questions take her by surprise… I could get real answers out of her instead of giving her time to improvise lies. It would be the closest I could get to reading her mind. "That's not fair," I answered. I began to walk her to her first class.

"No, you not sharing what you know – now _that's _not fair," she complained

Would it really matter if I told her or not? Bella was a terrible liar and therefore it wouldn't be hard to separate truth from lies. Not only that, but she was a very honest person…I didn't think she would lie to Jessica. I stopped in front of her first class. If I hadn't, she would have walked right past it.

"She wants to know if we're secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me," I said after several seconds.

"Yikes." That made my heart sink. "What should I say?" My heart rose again when I saw her fake innocent expression. She was as pleased as I was at this turn of events.

_Is that Bella and Cullen! What does he see in her?!_

_I've never even seen him even talk to anyone besides his own family!_

_Aww. they are so cute together!_

People were starring and slowing down as they passed us. Apparently, in a small town, we were the only interesting thing that had happened since Bella had come to school…and that just made us all the more interesting.

"Hmmm…" I thought. Us secretly dating would be a much better explanation than anything else I could think of. And it would give me an excuse to be with Bella more. I absentmindedly caught a piece of her hair that was hanging outside of her bun. I twisted it back into place and let my hand linger around the warmth of the neck. Her heart skipped several beats.

"I suppose you could say yes to the first…" I began before remembering Carlisle's words again: Don't push her… "If you don't mind – it's easier than any other explanation," I added quickly.

"I don't mind," she breathed.

"And as for the other question…well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself." I smiled and I heard her breath catch. I turned and walked away before she could respond. I was about to be late for class.

"I'll see you at lunch." I called over my shoulder. Several people stopped dead in the halls and I could still smell Bella blush from ten feet away.

_Bella has to be the luckiest girl in the world._

_What I would give for a boy like that..._

I laughed a bit and blocked out the rest of the thoughts before rushing to my first period class. I hated being late, but luckily my teacher wasn't there just yet. I took my seat in the middle of the room. I heard several conversations going on around me that captivated my interest.

"Did you hear? Bella and Edward are like, dating?" This conversation was coming from the back corner of the room between Samantha and Christine. I tilted my head in their conversation. Sometimes gossip could be very amusing.

"No way!" That was Christine. They were speaking in very hushed whispers, but I could hear them anyway thanks to my vampire hearing.

"Yeah, I know. I like, seriously thought he was like…you know…gay for the longest time. Especially after he turned down Jessica. Remember that?" Samantha giggled quietly.

"Oh my gosh yes! She was crying for like three hours in the bathroom. And now she's being all nice to Bella even though she totally had dibs. She is such a nice person."

I nearly laughed. Calling Jessica Stanley nice was like calling a grizzly bear tame. And believe me, they aren't.

"Bella is kind of being a…" Samantha started but before she could continue, the teacher walked in and made the class settle down. It was probably a good thing – I didn't appreciate people calling Bella names when they didn't know her at all and were clearly jealous.

The class droned on slowly as usual. The teacher's monotonous voice lulled me into a dream-like state between sleep and consciousness. My mind wandered and reached out to other consciousnesses.

Many of my classmates were thinking similar things to me. One was thinking about throwing a book at the back of our teacher's head. I smiled and moved on to the next person.

Once I was done with the minds of my class, I moved on to the next. I preoccupied myself with laughing over the mindless worries of the stupid girls and the hormonal, lusty thoughts of the idiotic boys.

I was pulled from my interrogation by the bell. I gathered up my things and headed to my next class where I resumed my search of the minds of the teenagers surrounding me. It was dull, but not as bad as whatever the teacher was talking about. I found out quite a bit of gossip, mostly from the pale blonde, Lauren.

I began tapping my fingers in time to the clock, waiting for the next period. The seconds ticked by slowly – more slowly than I thought possible. Each minute felt like a century but I kept my eyes fixated on the clock.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang. I smiled and gathered my things. I knew that Bella would be reluctant to go to Trigonometry, but she would have to go eventually.

I decided to blow off my next class. It wasn't as if I would never take English again. I was extremely interested to see what Bella's reaction and answers to Jessica's questions were. I didn't want to have to filter through Jessica's mind so I went to the math hall and stopped outside her classroom. I could hear everything in the class perfectly; I just needed to focus on Bella's conversation.

All the students had gone to class and the hallway was clear. I leaned casually against the lockers and got out my cell phone and pretending to text someone. I zeroed in on the girls conversation.

"What happened last night?" Jessica demanded.

"He bought me dinner and then he drove me home," Bella whispered back.

_No one can eat dinner that fast! I was home for like five minutes before she called! _

There was a moment of silence before Jessica spoke again. "How did you get home so fast?"

"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying."

I laughed and then frowned. Of all the things to be scared about and she I worried about my driving skills. Someone ought to teach her a bit about self-preservation. I was about to listen some more but a teacher walked by and eyed me suspiciously.

"Mr. Ah…Cullen, is it? Why aren't you in class?" hasked me.

"I have a spare, sir." I lied.

"Hmm…. Very well, carry on."

He continued down the hall.

"So are you going out again?" Jessica asked. _Please say no, please say no._

"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks my truck isn't up to it – does that count?"

"Yes." I could tell she was trying very hard to cover up her disappointment.

"Well then, yes."

"W-o-w. Edward Cullen." _This is so unfair! Who even likes brown eyes? I have blue eyes, they are sooo much more attractive. Oh well. At least this means Mike is free. _

I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her skin-deep beauty and cold, unforgiving eyes but I bit back the urge to jump in and correct her delusions.

"I know. Wow." Bella sounded pleased and I could almost smell her blush from here. I smiled with pleasure.

"Wait. Has he kissed you?"

"No, it's not like that." Bella's disappointment mirrored mine, although hers was much more palpable.

_Ha, I knew he couldn't like her like. He probably just feels sorry for her, being the new kid or something. He's so selfless for putting up with her. Just like me! _

"Do you think Saturday…?"

"I really doubt it," dissatisfaction leaked with every word. I raised the corner of my mouth. The thought of my icy lips meeting her warm ones sent a shiver down my spine. Of course it would be much too dangerous with my razor-sharp, venom-coated teeth that close to her delicate skin.

"What did you talk about?" Jessica asked. I waited impatiently for Bella to answer. She was a terrible liar and there was only one thing we really talked about that entire night…

"I don't know, Jess, lots of stuff. We talked about the English essay a little." We did? I didn't seem to recall that part of our conversation.

"Please, Bella. Give me some details." Jessica begged. I was beginning to get impatient. I wanted to hear what Bella really thought of me, and it was taking Jessica a long time to get there. I thought it would be the first question out of her big mouth.

"Well…okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him – it was over the top. But he didn't pay any attention to her at all." She sounded slightly smug. The waitress was flirting with me? I barely recalled the person who served us. I was a bit preoccupied. I would definitely have to read up on this whole flirting business.

"That's a good sign. Was she pretty?"

I nearly laughed. One thing I did remember was she had a very bad smell for a human. Maybe it was bad blood? Or perhaps that foul smelling perfume human girls insisted on wearing. Either way, it would have been good training for Jasper.

"Very – and probably nineteen or twenty." Bella agreed.

"Even better. He must like you." Did I detect a hint of jealousy in her voice?

"I _think_ so, but it's hard to tell. He's always so cryptic." She sighed. I wasn't cryptic, I just didn't tell her the full on truth. I scowled at the comment and texted Alice on my cell.

**Alice, I'm not cryptic, am I?**

She would have her cell phone on in class – she always did. I only had to wait five seconds to get a text back from Alice. I felt the phone vibrate and begin the annoying ringtone.

**E, u r 1 of the most cryptic ppl I no. Tho that isnt saying much. And I wuld watch out. Ur english teacher is coming around the corner on a bathrum break. U wuldnt want 2 b caught skipping…**

I was instantly annoyed by the 'Chat speak' that Alice used in her text. It was pure laziness not to type out the entire word. I was about to respond, but I heard the footsteps coming around the corner. I hated when she was right.

I ducked into an empty classroom beside Bella's. I slid onto a desk near the wall and continued to listen. I really hoped I hadn't missed anything important.

"So do you like him then?"

Just in time.

"Yes." She said unemotionally. My heart sunk a bit in my chest. I guess it was necessary to say that if we were secretly dating, but the tone made me think she didn't really believe what she was saying. My heart dropped to my stomach.

"I mean do you _really_ like him?" Jessica pushed. She must have caught the tone as well.

"Yes," she responded this time with more emotion. I smelt the blush raise to her face through the walls. I let myself hope a bit.

"How _much_ do you like him?" she asked, obviously fed up with one-word answers. I leaned in a bit closer.

"Too much." My heart leapt. I could hear her heart pick up the pace as she continued. "More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that." The smell of her blood strengthened further as the blush became more pronounced. I felt a pang of annoyance because she couldn't see how deeply I cared for her.

"Jessica." Mr. Varner's voice was much louder than I had been expecting. "What is the Cosine law?"

I got off the desk and got my cell phone back out.

**Thanks for that Alice. **

**But don't use chat speak. **

**It gives me a headache.**

**And I am not cryptic.**

I sent the message and walked out the class.

* * *

_Oh Alice, Oh Edward. I love thee both.  
In your spare time, Read my other story - Neverland  
Tis a bit messed up, but very enjoyable if you like fantasy.  
Especially dark and twisty fantasy. it's a B and E of course.  
Review!_

_- Hayley_


	13. Interrogations Part 2

_Aha, **not done baking** is my absolute hero. You can thank her for the lack of spelling mistakes and terrible grammer that has plagued the rest of my story because she is the BEST BETA in the entire universe :) Seriously, Stephenie Meyer should use her. Anywho... This isn't a new chapter (everyone crys) but it is an update (ish)... _

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Edward (haha, but if i did...) or Bella or any of the Twilight people. I don't own the plot or dialouge or any fun stuff like that either. In my dreams I do, but alas, those are only dreams...very VERY good ones I might add...**_

_Soo, here is where usually yell at you all to REVIEW. Please :( It gives me insentive to continue and you ALL want to read the Meadow scene...right?_

_- Hayley _

* * *

I decided to skip my next class and visit Jasper instead. Gym was hard for all of us, particularly him and his less practiced control. When the humans became active, their hearts thumped faster calling to us like a hypnotic drum. It always drove Jasper crazy and this year was especially hard because he had it by himself. One of us usually visited him to make sure his instincts didn't get the best of him.

I walked into the gym just as his class was filing out of the change rooms. He was sulking near the back, trying to avoid the emotions and heartbeats of the humans in front of him.

"Jasper." I muttered low enough for only him to hear. He looked my way and began to walk in my direction.

"Cullen!" Coach Clapp barked from across the gym. Both Jasper and I spun around. Coach Clapp was stomping towards us, his face the ruddy color that was so popular among gym teachers.

"Cullen, what are you doing in my class?" He stormed. _I just had to break up a fight last class and I was hit in the head with a racket by his brother before that! It's not even lunch and I'm already fed up with school!_

"I'm in your class, sir," Jasper said innocently. I nearly snickered at his sincere tone but I kept my face straight.

"Not you!" He stuttered. "The other Cullen!" His face was taking on an angry hue to rival Bella's embarrassment. I could actually hear the blood throb in his cheeks as his heart drove more to his face. I saw Jasper eyeing the crimson longingly.

"I needed to see my brother." I said, snapping Jasper out of his trance. He looked towards me and then down, ashamed.

"Why?" I could tell that Coach Clapp was struggling to keep his voice level, although the effort was making his eyes bulge out of his head.

"His girlfriend broke up with him." Jasper said quickly, his head snapping up. I could feel the waves of pity and remorse that he was pouring out so that the Coach would believe the story. I nodded and looked down solemnly.

_The kid looks down. Maybe I should just let them go for half an hour. It's not like Cullen is anywhere near failing._

"Fine," he said, still under the influence of the fake emotions. "You can have half an hour, but I expect you to be back in class by then!" His flush receded and he made his way back to the class.

"10 laps!" He shouted and blew his whistle. "And so help me, if you even touch the badminton nets, I'll make it 20!" He blew the whistle again and everyone began the running around the gym.

Jasper walked beside me as we exited the gym. His hands were in his pockets and his head was down.

"So, girlfriend, eh?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

He chuckled and brought his eyes up to meet mine. "I thought it was the best excuse. We've used the excuse 'our dog died' a couple too many times. People are going to think we run a very poorly operated kennel."

I laughed along with him and we headed to the cafeteria. It was empty except for a couple of freshmen skipping class. When we entered, they picked up their books and scrambled out the opposite door. Jasper laughed and went to our customary table.

"Are we really that frightening?" he asked. His voice was light but I could hear the real seriousness beneath the layers.

We sat in silence for a while. I tried hard not to listen to my brother's thoughts but it seemed that he was mulling something over. Preparing to make a very large speech to me. I looked over to him and his eyes were glued on to the table. Any emotions he was feeling, he was keeping locked up. I wondered what he could want to tell me. After a few moments, I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"What is it, Jasper?" I asked.

He looked up from the table, his dark eyes filled with remorse. "Listen, Edward. I wanted to say I was sorry-- about how I acted. I was being selfish. I was worried…" he stopped mid sentence. It was a touchy subject with Jasper and I could tell he preferred not to say whatever he was thinking out loud. I peered into his mind. _I'm just so weak. What would happen if she came over and I couldn't control myself? Would you ever forgive me?_

He hung his head in shame and I could feel the despair coming in waves from him. I shook my head against the picture that had formed into my mind. Jasper's teeth around Bella's delicate neck, taking her life away drop by drop.

"Jasper, I trust that your control is more refined than that. You're stronger than you think, you just need some confidence," I encouraged. I knew it was dangerous to make him confident to the point of arrogant. He would hunt less and try to live up to Emmett, or my standards, but it was just as dangerous if he had no confidence at all.

He smiled a bit and began to lighten up. "So, a human?" he teased. I glared at him until he looked away.

"I didn't mean it like that, Edward. How do you put up with the smell all the time? And being alone with her in your car, the aroma alone must drive you insane…" his eyes glazed over at even the thought.

"Jasper," I hissed, bringing him out of the trance. I sighed. "It is almost impossible for me to be near her, but it is the one thing I truly want. Her blood…it is like no other I have ever smelt. It is the single most irresistible fragrance that you could possibly imagine multiplied ten fold. Every time I'm near her I want to…" I trailed off and hung my head.

Jasper, sensing my distress, sent a wave of calm over me. Thankful, I lifted my head and met his sympathetic gaze.

"I can't empathize with you, I've never met a human who has ever had a particularly strong essence – they all smell similar to me. But I understand the struggle better than you think."

I smiled. Of course he could understand. He was the one who was newest to our way of life and being in school surrounded by humans must've been torture after the numerous years of instant-gratification.

"I have to go, otherwise Coach may force me to run laps," his voice dripped with sarcasm and mock-horror.

"You'd better get going. I'll survive on my own. I get over break-up's pretty fast," I joked.

Jasper rose from his chair and smiled before running out the door and back to the gym. I sat in the empty cafeteria and stared out the window. The rain was beating down on the glass as per usual and the sky was like a dark gray blanket, draped over the little town of Forks.

I continued to gaze out the window, transfixed by the buckets of water that fell from the sky. There were only five minutes left in the period when I snapped out of my trance. After checking my watch, I swiftly walked to Bella's Spanish class and leaned against the wall, waiting for the final bell to ring. I crossed my arms and concentrated, searching for Bella's voice within the class.

"So you're sure he was showing his teeth when he smiled?" that was Jessica. I could hear her not-so-subtle whispering over the chattering of the rest of the students.

"I don't know, Jess. Does it really matter?" I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I guess I half expected her to have been kidnapped before lunch. It was highly plausible theory with her being a magnet for danger.

"Of course it does!" Jessica's voice was an octave higher with annoyance and shock. _She doesn't even know how to read a boy. I bet that she's getting Edward's signals all wrong. That makes much more sense than him actually liking her!_ I could almost hear the scoff in her mind.

"Well then, yeah. I'm sure," Bella responded.

The bell finally rang, shrill and loud and I hear the shuffle of the students getting up and putting their books away. Jessica's voice rang through the crowd again.

"You're not sitting with us today, are you?" Jealousy highlighted her words, but Bella, seemingly distracted, ignored it.

"I don't _think_ so." Her voice came again. The contrast between the resentment in Jessica's tone and the sincerity in Bella's was almost comical. I felt a pang of anger from her obvious lack of faith in my promises. But perhaps it was well earned.

She walked out the door and a wave of her fresh scent hit me again, nearly sending me to my knees. It was still stronger than anyone I had ever known, but somehow less potent than the first time I had met her, that fateful day in Biology. The venom still rose in my throat and my eyes darkened with the wild thirst that threatened to overcome me, but it was somehow less powerful.

Jessica walked beside her, books in hand. The moment she saw me her mind – as expected – went completely blank. She turned back to Bella, rolled her eyes and turned away.

"See you later, Bella," she said, waggling her eyebrows. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know what she implied with her comment.

"Hello," I said, smiling slightly at her blush from Jessica's comment. It made things more difficult, of course, but I couldn't help myself in thinking that the red tint made her almost glow.

"Hi," she grinned in response to me.

I didn't say anything as I turned and began to walk towards the cafeteria, knowing she would follow. She walked a few inches behind me, following in my footsteps as I parted the crowd gracefully. People stepped back and starred at us unconsciously, thoughts flying through their head faster than I could read them

_**No way…**_

_Jessica must've been telling the truth…_

_Mikes out of luck…_

_Poor Tyler, he was so excited about Prom…_

I did my best to block them out, but the whispers intensified as we entered the cafeteria. I walked to the line, Bella close behind me. I let my eyes wander to her face every once and a while. She looked perfectly at peace; not at all scared she was in the presence of a vampire at _lunchtime_. I looked away quickly when she caught my eye and I smelt the surge of blood rush to her cheeks. She played nervously with a zipper on her coat.

When we got to the front of the line, the mountains of cafeteria food had me momentarily stumped. What did she like to eat? I hesitated for only a second and I reached to get most of everything. After all, I was getting food for two.

"What are you doing?" she looked at me questioningly when she saw the half-full tray. "You're not getting all that for me?"

I stifled a chuckled and shook my head. I walked to the beginning of the line forming to pay for our food. Bella followed my lead and stood next to me, still staring incredulously at me and my tray of food.

"Half is for me, of course," I said, raising an eyebrow. Hopefully, she was smart enough to catch my underlying meaning with out me having to verbally say it.

She raised an eyebrow in response as comprehension flashed through her brown eyes.

After paying for food, I led the way to the table we had sat at the one time previously. The cafeteria was mysteriously quiet – although Bella seemed to be oblivious to the fact – except for the astounded thoughts racing through everyone's head. I sat down and ignored the comments coming from a group of amazed senior girls at the opposite end of the table.

"Take what ever you want," I said, pushing the tray towards her, after Bella had spent a few moments eyeing the food cautiously.

She picked up an apple and examined it, turning it over in her hands. After several seconds of deep thought, her head snapped up and my eyes were caught in her deep brown ones.

"I'm curious," she began. I concealed a groan. Nothing beginning with those two words could ever be good. "What would you do if someone dared you to eat food?"

I concealed an even louder groan. Of course she would ask me eat the foul human food. "You're always curious," I winced. I stared her down and picked up the closest piece of food. It didn't matter which one it was, they all were like chewing cardboard. I brought the pizza closer to my mouth, inhaling the smell of grease and garlic until it nearly made me gag. I bit off a piece, my razor-sharp teeth slicing through the dough like butter and I began to chew. The venom made quick work of the bread, turning it to paste in my mouth. I swallowed quickly and wrinkled my nose in distaste.

"If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?" I tried to be as patronizing as possible, but the pizza settled in my stomach made it extremely uncomfortable even as I shifted slightly.

She wrinkled her nose and looked down at the table. "I did once…on a dare. It wasn't so bad."

I let out a laugh. "I suppose I'm not surprised."

_Look at that, she's totally leaning into him and he is leaning back. She is totally coming on way too strong. He definitely doesn't like her like that. I'll let her down easy after school. _I made a deliberate point in leaning it a bit closer at Jessica's comment. Her spiteful thoughts were beginning to get on my nerves and she could do with some deflation. _Okay, he just…shifted. It's all okay. I'll break it down for her later and twist it a bit. She won't even know the difference…_

I interrupted her thought with my own comment to Bella. "Jessica's analyzing everything I do – she'll break it down for you later." I said, paraphrasing her thoughts. It was best to give Bella some warning. I noticed she hadn't eaten and I pushed the pizza towards her.

She placed the apple back on the table and picked up the pizza. She took a large bite and looked away.

_**They are sharing food!**_

I ignored Jessica and looked back to Bella, thinking about her and Jessica's conversation in Trig class earlier that day. There were a few things that stood out to me, but there was one in particular I wanted to get out of the way.

"So the waitress was pretty, was she?" I asked nonchalantly. I personally didn't think so, but if Bella did, there must be a reason for her insecurities.

"You really didn't notice?"

"No, I wasn't paying attention." I reassured her. A smile broke out on Bella's face, only hinting at relief. "I had a lot on my mind."

"Poor girl," she said, somewhat smugly.

I looked down at the table, preparing myself to touch on one of the finer points of their conversations. "Something you said to Jessica…" I hesitated, trying to clear my unusually rough voice. "Well, it bothers me." I looked up at her without moving my head. Her face had automatically turned cautious but also slightly concerned.

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers," she told me, her voice guarded.

"I warned you I would be listening."

"And I warned you that you didn't want to know what I was thinking," she countered.

I hung my head slightly in defeat. "You did," I agreed. "You aren't precisely right, though. I do want to know what you're thinking – everything. I just wish…that you wouldn't be thinking something."

She automatically frowned, "That's quite a distinction."

"But that's not really the point at the moment," I said quickly, before she distracted me.

"Then what is?"

She leaned in closer and I responded, carefully. I folded my hands beneath my chin and watched her intently. She looked around warily, making sure we weren't about to be over heard. She placed her hand around her neck – perhaps subconsciously protecting her jugular vein with her hand. I was a bit hurt by the gesture, but it was just as my urge to drink her blood – purely instinct and nothing else. I erased it quickly from my mind and leaned in closer so we wouldn't be over heard.

"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?" I whispered, gazing deeply into her eyes.

She seemed to have a bit difficulty breathing, choking on the air that was already in her lungs. She looked away and exhaled rapidly. Her scent rushed to meet me and I leaned back ever so slightly.

"You're doing it again," she accused me.

"What?"

"Dazzling me," she said simply as she turned her head back to meet my eyes.

"Oh." I frowned. I didn't want her to be under the illusion of a spell every time we talked.

"It's not your fault," Bella amended quickly. "You can't help it."

"Are you going to answer the question?" I asked, surprised as she, once again, managed to distract me.

She looked down and the wonderful blush flooded her face. "Yes."

"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?" I hated not being able to simply lift the answer from her mind. I started at her, frustrated once again.

"Yes, I really think that." She looked down once again and the silence enveloped us. The outside world came rushing back and I could hear every one's thoughts again. Most of the ideas centered on the two of us, we were, apparently, staring lovingly into each other's eyes. Many of the guys wanted to kill me and similar thoughts were coming from the girls towards Bella. I turned back to her, unwilling to be distracted – once again – by the melodrama of teenager's and high school.

Bella was staring stubbornly at the plastic table, childishly refusing to even look at me. I tried to catch her eye, my only insight into her mind, but her gaze stayed locked on the table. I hadn't given her any reason to think that, had I? Of course there was the first month of our relationship, but I thought I had banished any doubt in her mind with our conversations.

"You're wrong," I said wanting badly for her to know what she thought was ludicrous. As if there was a way for minute human feeling to compare to the infinite amount that I – as one of the eternally damned – felt.

She looked up at me and stared into my eyes. "You can't know that," she whispered, shaking her head.

I tried, out of habit I suppose, to lift the reason behind her words from her mind. I was met with dead silence. I realized I would have to ask.

"What makes you think so?"

She sat quietly for several seconds, her face twisted into a concentrated mask. I could tell that she was debating if she should tell me the truth or not. I began to scowl as I waited patiently for her answer, which didn't seem to be coming. The suspense was – figuratively – killing me.

She glanced at me and placed a finger in the air. "Let me think," Bella insisted.

I immediately relaxed when I realized that it meant she was going to tell me, it just might take her a minute to find the words. A smile crept on to my face once again and I watched her twist her fingers together, just to unravel them a moment later.

She looked up finally, and spoke. "Well, aside from the obvious, sometimes…" she measured my expression. "I can't be sure – _I _don't know how to read minds – but sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying something else."

"Perceptive," I whispered. A thin coating of pain glazed over her eyes and she averted her eyes. "That's exactly where you're wrong, though." I was about to explain, fully, but something she said caught my attention. "What do you mean, 'the obvious'?"

Red blood flooded her cheeks quickly, but she spoke. "Well, look at me. I'm absolutely ordinary – well, except for bad things like all the near-death experiences and being so clumsy I'm almost disabled. And look at you," she gestured with her hand.

She was referring to my inhuman perfection. I scowled temporarily, trying to decipher her words. She was one of the most exquisite humans I had known, and… Comprehension rushed through my mind. She was insecure. Of all the most ridiculous things…I smoothed my face and continued. "You don't see yourself very clearly, you know. I'll admit, you're dead on about the bad things," I gave a short laugh, "but you didn't hear what every human male in this school was thinking on your first day."

The thoughts running through the adolescent boy's heads was ones I wished I could forget. Some of the ideas were so graphic, I was even shocked – and I lived with Rosalie and Emmett.

"I don't believe it…" she muttered, low enough that a normal human wouldn't have heard it.

"Trust me just this one – you are the opposite of ordinary," I spoke softly, truth ringing through with each word.

Her face flushed with embarrassment. An emotion flashed through her eyes so quickly, I might have missed it, but I could have sworn I saw a bit of pleasure at my comment. I smiled, satisfied by her reaction. She quickly took control over her embarrassed state and looked back up at me.

"But I'm not saying goodbye."

"Don't you see? That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it" – no matter how badly I wanted to stay – "if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe." My smile had faded with the thought of my conversation with my father the night before. My words almost echoed his concept.

"And you don't think I would do the same?" She glared at me.

"You'd never have to make the choice."

The conversation had taken a turn towards darker topics that I didn't want Bella to be subjected to. I quickly changed the atmosphere with a smile and changed the topic with a – what I hoped to be – light joke. "Of course, keeping you safe is beginning to feel like a fulltime occupation that requires my constant presence." My dead heart lurched with the thought of being around Bella every minute of every day. I scolded myself quickly and reminded myself of Carlisle's words. _Don't Push Her._

My jab worked and a smile broke out over Bella's pale face. "No one has tried to do away with me today," she teased.

"Yet," I argued.

"Yet," she agreed, nodding slightly dejected.

_**Edward…**_

It took much practice not to snap my head around every time I heard my name in some one's mind but when my siblings called me directly, it took even more effort. My neck twitched, but I resisted the urge to turn and face Alice.

_**Are you forgetting something?**_

I shook my head slowly – not enough for Bella to notice, but Alice caught it.

_**Then why do I still see Bella going to Seattle by herself this weekend?**_

I smiled gratefully, although she couldn't see my face and nodded – letting her know I got the point.

"I have another question for you." I slipped in casually. Bella was still eating the piece of pizza, seemingly oblivious to my moments of silence.

"Shoot."

"Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just and excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?"

She wrinkled her nose in disgust – presumably at the thought of going to the dance with Newton, or perhaps even just the thought of going to a dance at all. The repulsion sent a surge of satisfaction through my veins.

"You know, I haven't forgiven you for the Tyler thing yet," her calm voice was strangely threatening. Particularly paired with her glaring eyes. "It's your fault that he's deluded himself into thinking I'm going to prom with him."

"Oh, he would have found a chance to ask you without me –I just really wanted to watch your face." I laughed at the memory of her revulsion and anger. "If I'd asked you, would you have turned _me_ down?" I hid behind my laugh, but curiousness was consuming me.

"Probably not." My heart soared. "But I would have cancelled later – faked an illness or a sprained ankle." My flying heart promptly fell and was devastated upon a cold, hard ground.

"Why would you do that?"

She shook her head. "You've never seen me in Gym, I guess, but I would have thought you would understand."

"Are you referring to the fact that you can't walk across a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over?"

"Obviously."

Relief surged through me and I smiled smugly. "That wouldn't be a problem. It's all in the leading." She scowled, a sure sign she was about to argue with me so I cut her off quickly. "But you never told me – are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?"

Bella stared at me, dumbfounded, for a moment before snapping out of her daze. "I'm open to alternatives," she said casually but her thumping heart gave away her excitement. "But I do have a favor to ask."

Out of habit, I guarded my expression and tread cautiously. "What?"

"Can I drive?"

That threw me for a moment. "Why?"

"Well, mostly because when I told Charlie I was going to Seattle, he specifically asked if I was going alone and, at the time, I was. If he asked again, I probably wouldn't lie, but I don't think he _will_ ask again, and leaving my truck at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily," she finished. I opened my mouth to agree but she cut me off. "And also, because you're driving frightens me."

I rolled my eyes, completely deterred from my original thought. "Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving." I shook my head in mock abhorrence before I remember what I was about to ask. "Won't you want to tell your father that you're spending the day with me?" I prayed she would. It would at least give me an excuse to tell myself if I became overwhelmed by my impulses.

"With Charlie, less is always more. Where are we going anyway?" Bella asked, changing the subject.

Instead of arguing I went along with it. I didn't know why but I couldn't bare myself to raise my voice around her – something I was prone to doing when arguing. "The weather will be nice, so I'll be staying out of the public eye…and you can stay with me, if you'd like to." Again, I repeated Carlisle's words over in my mind. _Don't push her. Give her a choice._

Curiosity flickered in her eyes. "And you'll show me what you meant, about the sun?" Her heart rate increased again, a product of her excitement. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes." _Choice. _"But if you don't want to be…alone with me, I'd still rather you didn't go to Seattle by yourself. I shudder to think of the trouble you could find in a city that size."

She was clearly taken aback Her tone became slightly haughty and she jutted her chin out. "Phoenix is three time bigger than Seattle – just in population. In physical size – "

"But apparently," I cut her off, "your number wasn't up in Phoenix. So I'd rather you stayed near me."

"As it happens, I don't mind being alone with you."

"I know. You should tell Charlie, though." Just to give me some motivation. Please.

"Why in the world would I do that?"

"To give me some small incentive to bring you back," I told her bluntly.

She gulped but the terrified look upon her face slowly smoothed into a mask of nonchalance. "I think I'll take my chances."

I exhaled and turned away from her face. I felt the anger bubbling deep within my chest, like it always did when someone said something particularly stupid. If she didn't understand how dangerous I was, then she was clearly not grasping what I could actually do to her.

_Calm down Edward. Jasper says you' re even angrier than the time Emmett decided to re-arrange your CD collection in rainbow order._

I took a deep breath at Alice's orders and let the fury simmer down.

"Let's talk about something else," Bella suggested lightly.

"What do you want to talk about?" I tried to keep the annoyance and anger from my tone, but it was still fresh in my mind.

She looked around the cafeteria, trying to locate a good point of conversation. Her eyes drifted over Jessica and Mike. I hoped that she wouldn't start gossiping about the trivial love lives of her friends. Her eyes glided right over them and I felt ashamed for even thinking she would stoop so low as to gossip. Her wandering eyes finally fell on my family who were all sitting silently, not looking at each other, touching their food or even talking. Even I could say that they looked strange and definitely out of place.

"Why did you go to the Goat Rocks place last weekend…to hunt?" Charlie said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of bears."

Her words snapped me out of my thoughts and brought an amused smile to my face. She was intelligent but sometimes very obtuse…

"Bears?" she shrieked quietly. My grin grew more pronounced at her shock. "You know, bears are not in season."

"If you read very carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons." I countered.

Bella's eyes went from thoughtfulness, to confusion, back to thoughtfulness and then to comprehension. Her eyes widened and the wonderful intuition sparked behind her brown eyes.

"Bears?" she struggled to get the word out.

"Grizzly is Emmett's favorite." I gauged her reaction and I waited for the running and screaming – yet again. It never came and her face stayed perfectly smooth.

She made a noise of acceptance and took a large bite of pizza. She chewed thoughtfully, her eyes far away; deciding something I couldn't decipher. After a long drink of soda, she returned her eyes to mine.

"So, what's your favorite?" she asked slyly.

Oh course she would want to know that. "Mountain Lion." Disapproval colored my tone.

"Ah," she feigned disinterest.

"Of course, we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators – ranging as far away as we need. There's always plenty of deer and elk here and they'll do, but where's the fun in that?"

"Where indeed?" she mumbled taking another bite of pizza.

"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season – they're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable." My perfect vampire memory flashed back to one of Emmett's first hunts. He had walked into the cave of a sleeping bear during early spring.

"_Wake up," Emmett said, poking the bear repeatedly._

"_Emmett, that might not be wise." Carlisle cautioned._

_I stood at the mouth of the cave, laughing as Emmett began to tickle the bear's nose with a branch from outside. Every time it got too annoyed, it simply huffed and rolled over. Emmett laughed loudly every time the bear growled in its sleep._

"_Sounds like my dad when I tried to wake him up when I was a kid!"_

"_Emmett Cullen, we've wasted enough time. Let's go." Carlisle had said sternly. He turned to walk out of cave and Emmett began to follow._

"_Stupid bear." He kicked it in the side gently and walked out._

_Unfortunately for Emmett, he hadn't been so used to his newborn strength yet. That, combined with his natural muscles, the bear roared up and snagged his hand in its teeth. Emmett spent a good fifteen minutes jumping around trying to dislodge his arm. The thought of just killing or incapacitating the bear never came to his mind. Carlisle and I spent a good hour after the fact imitating his squeals and jumps. Emmett made us swear that we would never tell anyone._

"Nothing is more fun than an irritated grizzly bear," Bella agreed, bringing me back to reality.

I laughed out loud at the memory and shook my head. Bella remained silent and looked over my shoulder, in quiet contemplation.

"Tell me what you're thinking, please," I asked. Perhaps I had shared too much. Perhaps she was much more afraid than she let on.

"I'm trying to picture it – but I can't. How do you hunt a bear without weapons?"

"Oh we have weapons." I flashed her a humorless smile, showing off the more powerful weapon in my arsenal. She glanced at them and fear came briefly over her eyes. I closed my mouth quickly and continued. "Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."

_I resent that. I am much more graceful than a bear._

I silenced Emmett with a quick, sharp glare. To my surprise Bella was looking at him as well, fear now clearly glazed over her eyes. She shivered involuntarily and looked away.

"Are you like a bear, too?"

"More like the lion, or so they tell me. Perhaps our preferences are indicative."

She attempted a half smile. "Perhaps." She looked confused again before looking back at me. "Is that something I might get to see?"

"Absolutely not!" I shuddered to think what would happen if Bella was even remotely close to me when I lost all control. There was no doubt in my mind about what would most certainly happen. She leaned away, her face composed but afraid nonetheless.

"Too scary for me?" her voice quavered in the middle.

"If that were it, I would take you out tonight. You _need _a healthy dose a fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you."

"Then why?" she pushed.

I glanced at the clock quickly and back at her. "Later." I quickly stood up and waited for her to follow. "We're going to be late."

She glanced around the now empty cafeteria and grabbed her book bag and stood up.

"Later, then."

* * *

_Wonderful Chapter, Terrible Chapter?  
Let me know  
Take 5 seconds out of your wonderful lives and tell me how I'm doing  
It makes me Happy :)_

_- Hayley_


	14. Complications Part 1

_Haha, okay, so this chapter was actually quite hard to write. I dunno why, it just was. I hope I did the whole beginning scene justice, if not...well then sue me :) You can thank **not done baking** once again for the wonderful Beta job on this chapter. I don't think she missed a single thing. She is just amazing :)_

**_Disclaimer: We all know that I am obviously not Stephenie Meyer (and if you do, it's time to get you off the crazy pills) and therefor I don't own Twilight. If she ever puts it up for bid, I would defs be the highest bidder with...couts pocket change... $0.23 and a lint ball. Who could turn that down? _**

_PS: I totally restrained myself from putting the line: "What's with all the chemistry, I thought we were in Biology!" It was so tempting, but your lucky I actually like you guys. Lets aim for 180 reviews!! (yay!) Then I can be at 200 (le gasp) before the meadow scene. _

_- Hayley_

* * *

Every eye was upon us as Bella and I entered the Biology lab. Every thought was circulating ideas that would explain our strange and impossible match. The top stories seemed to be that she was in it for the money and I was in it because I felt sorry for her - and those were some of the more sane ideas. I blocked out the ridiculous thoughts swirling around in the classroom and glanced over at Bella.

She had her mahogany hair falling over her shoulder in a wave as she often did when she was embarrassed. The blood that burned in her cheeks, turning her face a delicious shade of red only emphasized the emotion. The strong smell had found its way to my nose and assaulted my brain in a mental torment I could only compare to a restrained alcoholic reaching for his favorite brand of scotch.

When we sat down at the desk, I made the chair so it was closer to her than I normally dared. We would only be inches apart when I sat down and I could almost feel the heat from her skin radiating towards me. I craved it almost as much as her blood.

Mr. Banner took the attendance and walked out of the room. I almost rolled my eyes when I read in his mind we were about to watch a movie. There was no doubt in my mind that I had seen it before and this was bound to be a dreary class, filled with a monotonous voice and black and white pictures.

The ancient TV that Mr. Banner rolled in looked like it belonged in a museum. It was well battered and obviously many years old. Most of the buttons had fallen off and the screen was cracked in the corner. The speakers were probably broken as well. I glared at the antique piece of machinery with pure detest. The movie days were ones I looked forward to the least and today in particular was very inconvenient. I could have spent the period doing much better things if we were doing a lab; like talking to Bella for example.

Mr. Banner roughly pushed an old tape into the equally old VCR and then hurried over to turn off the lights. The moment the room went dark, an eerie calm fell over the class. I'm sure every one of their hairs was standing up on the back of their necks but that was to be expected with a predator and their prey in the darkness, although none of them realized it fully.

The television flickered into life – I have to say, I was mildly surprised – and a title flashed up on the screen, Cellular Functions. That time I _did_ roll my eyes. I had seen this movie before when it first came out in the 80's. I didn't pay much attention after that, not because I was bored but because I was…distracted.

The moment the lights turned off a weird energy seemed to flow through me. Heat combined with sparks of electricity jumped the synapse from Bella to myself, sinking into my skin and lighting a fire in my veins. I could feel the foreign heat from the arteries in my stone heart to the capillaries in my toes. It was immensely pleasurable and I sunk into my chair the slightest bit, basking in the rare heat.

All of a sudden, the strangest urge came over me. I wanted badly to reach out and take Bella's hand in my own and borrow her heat, feel her soft skin against mine. My hand twitched involuntarily and I could almost hear it battling against the urge to move away and put her at a safe distance from myself. Worse still was that both the instincts were fighting against the eternal instinct to reach out and brush my lips against her slender neck and take the liquid that was truly mine. The three-way war raged on in my mind and I wasn't exactly sure who was winning. I opted for none of the three and instead sat perfectly still. I folded my arms slowly and clenched my hands into fists against my ribs.

When the urges all realized I wasn't about to back down, they slowly subsided and left me with my thoughts – and thirty other's as well. I finally relaxed a bit and concentrated more on the person sitting directly beside me. I let my eyes wander over to her frame and a smile broke out over my face when I saw her in the exact same position, hands balled into little fists at her sides and all. Her eyes weren't focused and it was clear she wasn't watching the movie either. My smile grew more pronounced.

She glanced over at me – seemingly sensing my persistent gaze – and the fresh smell of her blood rushed to meet my nose once more, as she looked away, embarrassed. Every once in a while she would glance over at me and look away quickly, but my gaze never came to an end.

The entire time, the sparks of electricity never ceased and the heat that rushed through me continued its course.

I heard Bella's sigh when Mr. Banner finally turned the television off. Anyone else would assume it was a kind of relief from the terrible movie coming to a close, but I knew differently. It was a relief from the current flowing between us finally finishing. As soon as the lights turned on, it turned off as if a fuse had blown.

Bella stretched her arms and her stiff hands; I winced when I heart the small cracks coming from her fingers and back. She turned to face me when she was done with her stretching. I gave her a smile.

"Well, that was interesting," I mumbled.

She seemed unable to look away from me and all I heard from her was a garbled sigh that could have been a yes or a no. I sighed but kept my smile up. Some times, the vampire charm could have its downfalls, but it was impossible not to smile with Bella in my presence.

"Shall we?" I asked as I rose from my seat.

She stood up as well, somewhat hesitantly. I remembered that Bella had gym next class and my curiosity piqued. I had never seen her in gym before. Again, I smiled as she tripped over her feet and stumbled out of the class.

It was almost impossible for my to keep a straight face with her around. Everything she did brought the foreign grin to my face. It was an alien emotion, the first time it came to me. After walking through my half-life, I had begun to think that I was, by myself, complete. My family had found the half that completed them but perhaps it wasn't my destiny to find the other person. I was born a whole and never meant to find a soul mate because she didn't exist. I was half true, through most of my life – death – she hadn't existed. Yet.

Thinking of Bella like that brought the feeling to my body again. The strange charged energy that coursed through my veins. Once again, the urge to reach out and hold her hand, breathe in the strong strawberry smelling hair or stare into the never ending pool of her chocolate eyes. It didn't help that she was mere inches away from my being and so close I could feel her normal temperature next to my dead flesh.

All too soon and not soon enough, the walk came to an end. I saw the change room doors at the end of the short hall. The walk was incredibly long for such a short distance. My emotions were flaring inside my chest, torn between running and staying. They were so strong, I'm sure that they were showing plain on my face.

When we finally reached the door, Bella turned to me, as if to say goodbye but I heard her breath catch in her throat and she stumbled on her feet a bit as she turned. Seeing her face just made the urge for my skin to connect with hers stronger and I raised my hand against my better judgment.

It was as if something from a movie, as if I was watching someone else's hand reach across the small distance between us. I could see the hesitation and excitement upon Bella's face, but I couldn't fully comprehend it. It wasn't until my icy skin made contact with her soft cheek that reality came crashing back to me. The warmth blossomed from my fingertips and made its way up my arm until it settled in my cold heart. I could suddenly smell her scent swirling around my head and threatening to overcome me once again. I swiftly brushed my hand across her cheek and turned just as quickly, leaving Bella stunned behind me.

My head cleared exponentially when I walked out of the building into fresh air. I glanced back at the gymnasium where I could hear the squeaks of rubber against the buffed wooden floor and the occasional blast from Coach Clapp's maddening whistle. I headed first for the woods to dislodge the piece of pizza that was threatening to stay wedged in my stomach for all eternity.

I emerged from the woods with my stomach feeling much better. I looked over at the buildings on the campus and wrinkled my nose. I didn't want to go to class. I didn't feel much like listening to a person younger than I droning on about a subject I had already studied numerous times. My eyes shifted and located the largest building. The Gymnasium I stared at it for several seconds, thinking about the wonderful person hidden behind the brick wall.

"_You've never seen me in Gym…."_

Bella's words from the past hour resurfaced in my mind bringing about a burning curiosity. If she had trouble walking across a parking lot, I wondered how difficult it would be for her to run, swing a racket and try to hit a birdie at the same time. With a new objective in mind, I headed towards the gym to see the enigma that was Bella in Gym class.

I reached the door leading to the out side just in time. Luckily for me, the school never invested in a proper air-conditioning system, leaving the Gym sweltering hot every minute of the year. The door was propped open a few inched in the feeble attempt to let some cool air into the large room. I peered into the small gap and saw a scene unfold before me.

"Mine!" Eric Yorkie yelled going towards the birdie quickly and smashing it with his racket. _Try to get THAT Mike!_

Mike didn't say anything as he went into a semi dive, putting the birdie high enough into the air for it to just clear the net. Angela ran towards it and smiled apologetically when she sent it towards Bella. _I am so sorry Bella! Good luck!_ Bella held the racket with two hands and swung with all her might.

She missed entirely.

Her racket clipped Mike's shoulder and ricocheted off the hard bone, flying back into her forehead. If that weren't enough, the surprise of being hit in the head made her stumble and fall into Mike, sending him sprawling into the net. To his credit, he would have caught her if he weren't still so surprised at what had just happened. The birdie lay forgotten as Mike attempted to untangle himself and Bella profusely apologized. Coach Clapp just rolled his eyes and continued to observe the next group.

I couldn't hold back the laughter as I watched what happened. It surprised me at first, the sound coming from my mouth in such a loud, unorganized fashion. I racked my memory for the last time I had laughed that hard at something not caused by Emmett. It didn't come.

I continued to watch the badminton games for the rest of the period. More specifically, I watched Bella watch badminton while she was staying out of the way. She sheepishly held the racket behind her back and waited for the game to end. Then the final whistle and Mike walked over to her and gave her an enthusiastic high five.

_Oh man her hand is soft. I wish I could hold it…but that's Cullen's property now._ I heard him glower in his mind.

I strained my ears to hear what he was saying to Bella over the squeaking of running shoes against the floor.

"You and Cullen, huh?" he asked, managing to sound dejected and defiant at the same time.

"That's none of your business, Mike," Bella cautioned him.

"I don't like it."

"You don't have to."

My heart once again soared at her words. What was it about Bella that could make me so happy one moment and the next be a blithering idiot and yet the next I could be as depressed as Jasper in a room filled with pre-teen girls.

"He looks at you like…like you're something to eat," Newton protested. My jaw dropped. How could someone be so right but so _wrong_ at the same time?

Bella let out a hysterical giggle and fled to the dressing rooms. I moved from my place at the door and leaned against the wall, waiting for Bella. I didn't have any homework – because I hadn't really gone to class – so I didn't need to go to my locker to retrieve anything.

She walked out moments later and I could smell her the moment the doors opened. Luckily the natural scents that surrounded me diluted her appetizing fragrance enough for me to let my guard down a bit. She saw me and walked over my way.

"Hi," she said smiling terrifically, showing all her teeth.

"Hello," I grinned in return. "How was gym?"

Her smile dropped minutely. "Fine," Bella lied. I could smell the blood rush to her cheeks and her heart rate increase.

"Really?" I asked innocently. She looked down momentarily then gazed back into my eyes.

_Damn. There they are again. I wonder if they're just friends. Then I'd still have a chance…_

I shifted my gaze to over Bella's shoulder, straight at the person thinking the thoughts I was zeroed in on. Mike Newton. Combined with his earlier comment, my eyes narrowed and I glared at him. If only I could use a small display of my powers. Like beating him in a fight. It was a simple high school tradition. And I'd only use half strength, maybe just enough to give him a broken nose…

"What?" Bella asked me, bringing me back to reality.

I stopped looked at Mike Newton's back and shifted my eyes back to Bella. "Newton's getting on my nerves."

"You weren't listening again?" she asked, utterly horrified at the idea.

Uh-oh. Usually, when my sisters used that tone, it was automatically followed by anger. "How's your head?" I thought I had better go with a sincere tone; perhaps it would stave off the anger.

"You're unbelievable!" she shouted and stomped off in the direction of the parking lot. I grimaced slightly. Apparently that sincerity didn't work. I began in the direction she was going, catching up easily. It pleased me she still seemed to be heading towards my car.

"You were the on who mentioned how I'd never seen you in gym – it made me curious." I explained slowly, hoping she'd forgive me. Of course I wasn't sorry for what I had done. She was the one who first broached the subject and it was only fair I discovered what the problem was with her in gym class. She didn't seem to agree.

Bella walked in absolute silence with the only noise coming from her shoes against the wet concrete. I was so concentrated on her; I didn't notice why she stopped. Until, of course, my mind was flooded with the thoughts of hormone filled boys drooling over my sister's car. I rolled my eyes.

I only paused for a moment before I squeezed between the admirers and climbed into the front seat. After a moment, she did the same thing, closing the door with relief.

_That is the hottest car in the world! No wonder it belongs to Rosalie Hale!_

I rolled my eyes again and muttered, "Ostentatious," under my breath.

"What kind of car is that?" Bella asked.

"An M3," I replied shortly.

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "I don't speak _Car and Driver_."

"It's a BMW," I explained using the most common term for Rosalie's favorite car. I thrust my key into the ignition impatiently and attempted to back out of the space without running any of the boys over. Not that it would be a large loss to humanity on a whole.

"Are you still angry?" I asked her after I had managed to back out of the parking lot.

"Definitely."

I sighed. I'd figured as much. "Will you forgive me if I apologize?"

"Maybe…if you mean it. _And _you promise not to do it again."

I wasn't about to agree to that. Not a chance. She was much too interesting for her own good. I counteracted her offer, "How about if I mean it, _and_ I agree to let you drive Saturday?" It was a small price to pay for her not to be mad, no matter how much I enjoyed driving.

She deliberated quickly and flashed a brilliant smile. "Deal," she agreed happily.

"Then I'm very sorry I upset you." I looked straight into her eyes, not really caring if I was driving. I 'dazzled' her for a moment until her heart beat out a disjointed rhythm. "And I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning."

"Um, it doesn't help with the Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway."

I smiled at her somewhat mockingly. She didn't know about my other secrets yet. "I wasn't intending to bring a car."

"How—"

"Don't worry about it." I interrupted quickly. She would soon learn about the other powers I held, if everything went according to plan on Saturday. "I'll be there, no car."

She paused, thinking quickly. Her concentrated face made me uneasy for a moment.

"Is it later yet?" She asked.

"I suppose it's later." I said, hoping she wasn't thinking what I thought she was thinking. Of course, I'd never know. I pulled the car to the curb and glanced over to Bella. She was looking at me expectantly, waiting for me explain.

"And you still want to know why you can't see me hunt?" I asked morosely. This was not a topic I wasn't to discuss.

"Well, I was mostly wondering about your reaction," she explained carefully, measuring each word before she spoke them. I could tell she was trying to avoid making me angry again. It was probably for the best with her scent swirling in the warm and confined car.

"Did I frighten you?"

"No," she said too quickly.

"I apologize for scaring you. It was just the very thought of you being there…while we hunted." The memory of Bella's pale body draped across the sidewalk from the day they were blood testing in Biology came back to my mind. There was no way I ever wanted to see her like that again, especially because I had thought she was…dead. I internally cringed with the last thought. There was no doubt that she would end up exactly like that if she ever came close to me while hunting. My jaw clenched involuntarily.

"That would be bad?"

"Extremely." The thought of hunting brought my thirst raging back to my mind and the burning venom back to my throat.

"Because…" she pushed.

I took a deep breath into my lungs only to be suffocated by her sweet scent. I stared out the window, trying to get a better control of myself. Bella continued to stare at me; unaware of the danger she was in.

"When we hunt, we give ourselves over to our senses…govern less with our minds. Especially our sense of smell. If you were anywhere near me when I lost control that way…" I shook my head as the thought of her cold body lying on the ground resurfaced once again in my mind.

I measured her reaction carefully, waiting (for the umpteenth time) for the running and screaming. But her expression remained smooth and calm. She refused to look away from my eyes and I could feel myself sinking deeper into the depth of the chocolaty pools. Neither of us spoke and the tension became so thick, I could feel it on my skin. The same electricity from Biology coursed through the open space between us, seemingly intent on bringing us closer together or drive us mad with the separation.

Finally, she drew in a ragged breath, exhaling deeply and saturating the air further with her scent. With my already vulnerable state, it hit me particularly hard, sending the monster chained in my mind into a frenzy. The venom rose to the back of my mouth, begging to be released into warm flesh. I closed my eyes to manage the urges.

"Bella, I think you should go inside now," my rough voice commanded gently. I wasn't sure how much of the torture I could take before my will broke entirely.

She got up clumsily, fumbling with the handle before managing to exit the vehicle. A breeze rushed past her into the car, clearing my head enough to look at her once again. She slammed the door and began to walk unsteadily for her house. I made the window go down with the press of a button.

"Oh, Bella?" I called to her. She turned around, her eyes still slightly unfocused. "Yes?"

"Tomorrow it's my turn."

"Your turn to what?"

I smiled, flashing my teeth briefly. "Ask the questions," I replied quickly and before she had time to protest, I pressed my foot to the gas and drove off, heading back to my house. I had an entire night to think of questions to ask her for the next day and I wasn't about to waste anytime.

* * *

_I know, I split it in half again. I tried to not do that, but MAN OH MAN! Edward thinks ALOT!  
Most likely, they will all be split in half from now on. Except Chapter 13. I refuse to do that to you guys._

_Oh and, Side Note. I have a poll on my profile. Please vote, because it's a matter I'm slightly confused on._

_Your Beloved Author,  
Hayley_


	15. Complications Part 2

__

I bet you all thought I had given up! Well I haven't and I garentee you I will not. My stupid broken computer was fixed soon after but of course it broke again soon after and I had to get someone to take it away. When they brought it back a week later all my lovely files were erased (including the half finished part of this chapter). I had to re-write it all, trying to remember if this is what I originally wrote. And just a note as to how much I love all you guys, I'm supposed to be working on a History essay right now (History, a course which I am FAILING) that is due tomorrow but I couldn't leave you all hanging for any longer. That would just be cruel.

**_Speaking of cruel, this story, plot, characters and all else don't belong to me. They belong to the wonderful and talented Stephenie Meyer and I'm just the lowly kid that playing with the Cullens. Mine is a sandbox, and hers is a desert. It's a cruel world._**

_I want to especially point out one person who I pretty much owe this story to and that is **notdonebaking. **She is the greatest Beta of all times and helps me get no Flames whatsoever by carefully editing each chapter. Thank her for the limited, if any mistakes._

___Loves you all if you review! _

_Hayley_

* * *

I rushed home that night, ignoring several stop signs

I rushed home that night, ignoring several stop signs, trying to get home before my siblings realized I was gone. Of course, I was too late.

By the time I parked my car in my space, Alice was sitting on the porch, her face in her hands and her arms on her knees, looking at me expectantly. When she caught me looking at her, her eyebrows shot up suggestively. I heaved a sigh and exited my car.

Before I could blink, Alice was by my side.

"So, where have you been?" she asked innocently.

Another sigh escaped my lips. "Alice," I warned tersely. I really wasn't feeling up to the mind games or torrent of questions that filled her eyes.

Her face automatically fell into a pout. She jutted her lower lip out and widened her eyes in a look I knew worked on Jasper, but wasn't working on me. That time at least. "Please?" Alice begged. _I want to know what happened!_

I rolled my eyes. If we didn't have to keep a low profile, Alice would have made the best actress. "No," I answered, my voice ringing with finality. I walked into the house with her following close behind.

"Edward! I supported you on every decision and you won't tell me even one little detail?" she asked, her voice changing from sulking to anger in an instant.

"Aren't you the psychic in the family? Didn't you see what happened?"

She sniffed. "I thought it would be more polite if I allowed you some privacy."

"And, yet here you are begging me for answers."

"But I want to know!" she began to mock-whine.

My thoughts raced, trying to figure out ways in which to make her be quiet. I could have just sprinted out the door and made a run for it, but I knew she would follow or wait, scheming and plotting ways to make me miserable for ignoring her. Alice didn't take being disregarded too lightly.

I spotted my piano in the corner of the large room and I ran over as fast as possible, Alice still pleading in my ear behind me.

"Edward, don't you dare tune me out. Don't you dare sit down at the piano bench. Don't you dare start…!"

I cut off her loud and pestering protests with a loud key. She warned me with her eyes, daring me to start playing. I accepted her challenge and started playing Esme's favorite, pounding my fingers into the keys a little harder than normal just to drown out Alice's voice. She glared at me before sticking her tongue out and crossing her arms before running back up to her room.

I let out yet another sigh, although this one was in acute relief. I continued Esme's song for a short phrase and then stopped abruptly. I began to get up from the bench but I saw Alice's head peak down from the stairs. I shot her a fierce glare, sat down and began to play Mozart loudly. I kept my eyes on the stairs, making sure that her head retreated fully but I never missed a note.

I slid smoothly into Beethoven's Piano Concerto number 3. The smooth ivory keys gave way easily to my equally pale fingers. My hands danced along the piano and my ears lapped up the smooth and haunting melody bringing fake tears to my dead heart. I stopped again quickly and the lingering music soon died away, leaving everything silent as the grave.

I scowled at the piano. Of course it wasn't the source of my unaccountable misery; it was only the instrument to express it. The source was my own heart and feeling that overwhelmed it. Behind that was Bella.

I placed my hands back upon the white bars.

My problems had grown exponentially since we Bella had moved to Forks. My control was no longer perfected and the monster that I hadn't seen in years visited me almost daily now. I loathed and dreaded our short meetings but I looked forward to them almost perversely because it meant I was talking to one of the few people worth talking to in the world.

Bella seemed to be the source for all my problems: misery, happiness, joy, anger. Instead of resent it, I reveled in it. For a century I thought I was complete on my own and that I needed no other by my side unlike my siblings who thrived on the love of their spouses. I believed that only satisfaction existed and I could only ever be simply content with the way things were. Happiness and true love didn't exist because the very idea of being committed to one person, caring for them more than yourself, seemed impossible.

I thought that until the day the world had shifted. My life, my universe didn't revolve around myself anymore, no, the sun of my universe belonged to Bella now. But the sun was no comparison for her. The moon was a far better example, radiant, glowing, pale and casting light upon my hapless darkness.

"That was beautiful."

My hands stopped moving. I hadn't been aware they had been playing on their own accord. I could barely remember _what_ I was playing. I turned and saw Esme with a small smile on her red lips.

"It was too angry at first, then much too melancholy but the end," she sighed nostalgically, "was beautiful. It reminds me of a lullaby my mother used to hum to me. It's funny how I remember something as insignificant as that…"

I gave her a noncommittal answering smile and turned back to my piano. Esme understood perfectly. Everyone in the house knew I didn't like to be disturbed when I was playing.

I waited only a moment, just listening until I couldn't hear Esme's footsteps on the carpet before throwing myself back into the song I found myself composing. There was only one thought on my mind the entire time and nothing could break through the echoes of her name. The thoughts coming from my family dulled in comparison to her face in my mind. The roar of Emmett's jeep coming up the driveway was instantly quieted by her sweet voice resonating though my ears.

"Edward," a voice called me to the surface. I tried to ignore it and I concentrated on the smooth ivory beneath my fingers.

"Edward!" The voice called again.

I snapped my eyes open and the last whisper of music faded away. I searched for the source of the voice and I settled upon Alice's face. My eyes automatically narrowed. "What?" I snapped harshly.

Her face became hard with my tone. "I just wanted to inform you that you will be late for school if you don't start getting ready," she harrumphed and stalked away.

My apology caught in my throat and instead of calling after her back just to say sorry, I decided I would later when she had calmed down a bit.

"Thank you Edward, I forgive you," she called softly down the stairs, her musical laughter tinkling through my ears afterwards.

I rolled my eyes and glanced at the clock quickly. I got up abruptly and ran to my room. I only had half an hour to get ready. I turned around and was slightly shocked to see Alice sitting on my bed, staring thoughtfully at my closet.

"You should where your white button up shirt today. I think Bella would like that." She smiled in her annoying, I-know-better-than-you-because-I-am-psychic way. I gave her a terse smile before turning again to dig it out of my large closet.

"Alice, you buy me too many clothes," I said as I looked through the mountains of clothes that occupied the large space.

_Silly brother, just ask me where it is next time._ I could hear the smile in her thoughts.

"Okay then," I said through my teeth. "Where is my shirt?"

_It's hanging up in the left corner. I ironed it yesterday for you. You're welcome. _

I turned to face her so I could thank her properly, but of course she was already gone. With one more eye roll, I got dressed in a flash and faced myself in a mirror. Of course the vampire myths of our kind having no reflection were nonsense and it was clearer to me that ever as I attempted to control my unruly hair. No matter how much I played with, brushed, yanked or smoothed; it stayed the same bronze mop upon my head. After several seconds I gave up with an exasperated sigh.

I don't know why I cared so much about my appearance, I never had before. I simply wore what Alice told me to and went to school. Now it was different. I had someone to impress and worse, someone who would judge me. Worse still, I actually cared what she thought of me, though I couldn't lift it from her thoughts as easily of others. I had to _ask_ her to _tell _me her thoughts. How mundane.

With one more glance at the clock I rushed to my precious car. I had only fifteen minutes to get her house and then to school. The moment the door closed, I pressed down on the gas pedal and floored it out of the driveway.

Once I approached Bella's street, I slowed down to a mere 20mph and searched for her father's thoughts. It might not start the Police Chief and I off on a good note if I picked up his daughter before he and I were even introduced.

Just as I came to the corner of Bella's street, I heard Chief Swan's thoughts as he walked down the driveway.

_It's a good thing she doesn't have a date. The boys here aren't good enough for her. She can start dating in college. Or when she's thirty… No, I want to have grandkids when she's thirty…_

Charlie's thoughts faded as his cruiser drove away from my 'hearing' range. The comment about grandkids continued to sting me as I crept around the corner and rounded the car into the Swan's driveway. If she, by some miracle, _did_ want me the same way I wanted her and – in the best case scenario – we did spend the rest of her life together, children weren't even in the range of possibilities for my kind. The thought made me very sullen for a few moments.

I snapped right out of the surly attitude the moment I saw her face peak out the window in her room. The moment my eyes wandered over her face, even for the fleeting second, I lost my train of thought. Within the minute she had hurried out the front door and bounded towards me and the car, a smile plastered on her face.

I looked away and struggled to catch my breath and mind as she walked towards the car. I also prepared myself for the terribly wonderful torture I was about to endure…the moment…she…opened…the door.

And it hit me.

I tensed for half a second, much more quickly than her eyes could process and then I willed myself to relax. I looked over to her as she awkwardly got into the car, trying to manage her bag and feet without falling over, and smiled as she sat in the presence of a vampire completely at ease. When Bella was completely settled, she looked over to me expectantly. I noted the purple shadows under her eyes, something that could only come from sleep-deprivation. In a human at least.

"Good morning," I greeted, "how are you today?" My eyes roamed again over her features, noting the tiny worry lines over her forehead and slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Good, thank you," she answered truthfully.

I looked at her skeptically, staring pointedly at the dark shadows. "You look tired."

"I couldn't sleep," Bella admitted reluctantly. Her hand rose up and brought the hair over her shoulder to provide a curtain preventing me from seeing her face.

"Neither could I," I joked. I absentmindedly wondered what had caused her such a restless night.

Her soft laugh echoed through the small vehicle. "I guess that's right. I suppose I slept just a little bit more than you did."

My lips twitched a bit at her carefree comment, but I wished she would take the warnings I gave her about the dangers with a grain of salt. It was for her own safety. "I'll wager you did," I commented dryly.

She was silent for a moment before piping up. "So what did you do last night?"

I laughed at her subtle attempt to distract me. "Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions."

"Oh, that's right." She frowned but her tone implied she was giving in. "What do you want to know?"

What did I want to know? Basics…. "What's your favorite color?" I asked quickly, trying to come up with something on the spot.

"It changes from day to day." She hedged.

"What's your favorite today?"

"Probably brown."

I couldn't help but snicker. "Brown?" I asked. It was a strange colour to like – things that were brown were often dull and plain, the complete opposite of Bella – but what did I expect from she who never ceased to surprise me.

"Sure," she said indignantly before her expression turned wistful. "Brown is warm. I _miss_ brown. Everything that's supposed to be brown – tree trunks, rocks, dirt – is all covered up with squashy green stuff here."

I stared at her, utterly fascinated by her speech. She stared back, enveloping my gaze with her trusting…warm…brown eyes. My eyes drifted to her long mahogany hair – which was still surrounding her face and covering some of it from view – that just seemed to scream warm. In that second, my opinion changed.

"You're right," I concluded. "Brown is warm." I reached quickly but still cautiously – testing my boundaries – to her hair, right beside her neck.

I could feel the warmth emanating, calling me from the jugular that pulsed just beneath the surface, in my hand.

It'll be so simple, the monstrous half of me taunted. A small flick of you hand is all it's take. Give into your desire, take what is rightfully yours. You can even do it quickly so she won't feel any pain. Won't that make it a bit better?

I ignored it.

The moment her hair was back behind her shoulder and her pale face in full view, my hand was back on the steering wheel, as far away from her delicate neck as I could manage in the small space.

I turned the car into the small parking lot at the school and pulled into an empty spot. I noticed that Rosalie's car was already there, parked a few spaces down from me. After glancing around quickly to make sure none of my nosy siblings were listening or watching, I turned back to Bella.

"What music is in your CD player right now?" I asked.

She looked very pensive for a moment before she answered. "Linkin Park."

So we did have things in similar. The thought that she and I listened to the same music made me feel strangle happy. I smiled and reached over to my very crowded CD compartment. I pulled out Linkin Park and handed it to Bella.

"Debussy to this?" I teased.

She ignored the comment and continued tracing the pattern on the cover with her slender flingers, her face astounded. Apparently she didn't think we had anything in common either.

I walked her to English and then from Spanish to the cafeteria, questioning her the entire time. During my classes while my teacher's talking blended into the background with the rest of the insistent chatter of minds, I thought of more questions I could ask. I was relentless in the interrogation process and refused to skip even one detail. Every aspect of her life was put under a microscope and every answer spawned a new question.

All of the questions were quite superficial. I didn't want to frighten her away with the deep questions of her home and life I longed to ask. Some of the simple questions made her neck turn a delicious colour of red and a few shot the red all the way up to settle in her cheeks. There was one response in particular which I enjoyed immensely.

After she had eaten a quick lunch, with me firing questions off during each bite, I had begun a more intense interrogation.

"What is your favorite season?" I asked

"Summer," Bella replied firmly but somewhat absentmindedly.

"What type of gemstone is your favorite?" I asked.

"Topaz," Bella replied but then did a double take. Her eyes widened in horror at her answer and a chagrin-fueled blush rushed to her pale face.

I gazed at her inquisitively, waiting for the explanation behind her blush but her eyes refused to meet mine.

"Bella," I whispered, trying to daze her into an answer. She refused to submit. "Please, I promise I won't laugh." She just shook her head and kept her red face hidden behind the curtain of her mahogany hair. I leaned back in defeat.

"Tell me," I asked in my most authoritative tone after several minutes of precious time were wasted.

She looked up weakly but saw my stony posture and a look of defeat washed over her features. "It's the colour of your eyes today," she sighed, sending a breathtakingly horrific wave of her scent towards me. I stiffened and stopped breathing for a millisecond while it passed. Bella looked down at the table and mistook my silence. "I suppose if you asked me in two weeks, I'd say onyx."

I made a note to feed more often and keep my eyes the golden colour they were today before I continued.

"What kind of flowers do you prefer?" I asked, smiling.

She let out another sigh and continued answering my never ending questions.

On the way to Biology, I breeched my favorite subject; books. Bella complied willingly, becoming much more enthusiastic about my questions and much more animated with her answers. At one point, while trying to illustrate to me the benefits of reading Jane Eyre, she began to describe with her hands which eventually lead to all of her books falling from her arms.

She blushed and stood among the mess of spilled papers and text books. I picked them up for her and continued questioning as if nothing had happened. Inwardly of course, I was laughing.

We walked into Biology and sat down at our desk. Bella didn't seem to notice the strange looks she and I were getting. No one had even seen me talk that much and to top it all off the fact I was talking to _Bella_ was still the main gossip around the school.

Mr. Banner cut my questions short by wheeling the old television set into the classroom once again. As he turned off the lights, I moved my chair farther away from Bella than the class before. Sitting beside her in the dark with the strange electricity was too much to handle for my fragile control. I hoped distance would put an end to the bizarre sparks.

The moment the lights flicked off, the strange current began its circuit again. Bella leaned on to her arms which were rested on the table. Her posture conveyed that of any relaxed teenager watching a movie but her face was twisted into a look of pure concentration; it was almost as if she were restraining herself almost as much as I.

I turned quickly back to the television set. The effort it took to restrain myself this day was almost as hard as the very first. The darkness brought out my instinctual nature and Bella was right beside me, smelling delicious and utterly defenseless – my mind told me she would be the perfect prey. I struggled to ignore the whispering of the devil in my mind as I watched the old black and white film.

Finally, after half an hour into the period and the whisperings getting particularly violent, I looked over at the victim of my mind. She was sitting sweetly and just gazing at the television with empty eyes. My eyes upon her face took away some of the bloodlust that was clouding my mind and the thoughts of my usual sane mind broke through.

Months could have passed while I was staring at her face. My thoughts flickered between taking her in my arms and taking her life in a continuous circle. After an hour which felt like an eternity, Mr. Banner turned off the television set and turned the lights back on. I heard a sigh of relief escape Bella's full lips.

I didn't ruin the moment with words; words that would have been awkward and unsuitable. Instead I walked her silently to her Gym class. The halls seemed usually quiet that day and the voices that I usually heard were absent. The moment we came to the door of the change rooms, I repeated my action of the day before although this time I was less hesitant. I reached my hand to her face and made a long stroke with the back of my hand before quickly turning away.

As I was walking away, I could have sworn I heard a gasp of air and a slight stumble coming from Bella's direction.

My next two classes passed unbearably slowly. Time seemed to have almost stood still during those two long hours. I glared at the clock as if it would make it move faster. Unfortunately, it didn't. When the bell _finally_ rang, I leapt from my seat, gathered my things and was out the door before anyone else had moved.

_What's up with Cullen?_

I heard thoughts commenting on my strange behavior coming from behind me. Rushing through the empty halls, I suddenly realized how wholly obsessed I had become. I willed myself to slow my pace and, with much restraint, walked the rest of the way to the gym. The hall was still relatively empty when I reached the exit to the change rooms and so I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath of the useless oxygen.

As I was waiting for Bella to exit, I scolded myself to become a bit more detached to save myself from the inevitable heartbreak that would come and to save Bella from the horrible fate that potentially waited for her. I pushed that out of my mind and told myself that it wouldn't happen because I wouldn't _let _it happen. For now, I would just concentrate on finding out everything I possibly could about Bella Swan.

I forgot all my chiding when she walked out the door. Her scent assaulted me but I pushed it aside the best I could and concentrated on the smile that had broken out on her face. My mouth grinned on its own accord in response.

On the drive home, I continued with my arsenal of questions. I cushioned the initial questions so she would feel more comfortable but eventually I found out what I wanted most. By the time we had gotten to Bella's house, she was using her hands to describe everything. The sun and it's far reaching light, casting pale shadows against a pitted and rocky ground; the endless blue sky that stretched for miles and miles, only fading when it reached purple volcanic rock of distant mountains; the pure smell of the dusty dry air. I tried to imagine what her world felt like but I knew in my heart that the sunny plains would always remain a mystery to me – it was either a life of night, or a life of rain and clouds.

Finally, I bit my tongue against the stream of questions that still remained after I took a slight glance of the clock. Not only would my family be wondering where I was, but Bella's father would be coming home soon. A look of pure relief washed over Bella's pale face when I finally hesitated.

"Are you done?" she asked hopefully.

"Not even close – but your father will be home soon." I said in a tone which I hoped concealed my disappointment.

"Charlie!" Bella cried out searching frantically for her father's car, as if she had only just remembered that he had existed. "How late is it?" she asked as she glanced at the glowing green letters on the dash.

"It's twilight." I mumbled as my eyes swept across the vast dark sky. The clouds revealed nothing of the time of day, but somewhere I knew that it was coming to a close. It was unfortunate that such a good day had to end and another day of my pointless existence had passed.

Bella stared at me inquisitively.

"It's the safest time of day for us. The easiest time." I added. "But also the saddest, in a way…the end of another day, the return of the night. Darkness is so predictable, don't you think?"

"I like the night," she countered. "Without the dark, we'd never see the stars. Not that you see them much here."

I laughed loudly and the tense atmosphere that I had inadvertently created lifted. "Charlie will be here in a few minutes. So unless you want to tell him that you'll be with me Saturday…" I teased.

"Thanks, but no thanks," she retorted as she gathered her books in her bag and flexed her stiff muscles. I hadn't realized how long I must have kept her waiting, but talking to someone without knowing what they would say ahead of time was refreshing.

"So," she started looking away from me quickly before gazing hopefully into my eyes. "It is my turn tomorrow, right?"

I struggled to keep a straight face. "Certainly not!" I said in a mock-angry voice. "I told you I wasn't done, didn't I?"

"What more is there?"

"You'll find out tomorrow."

I reached across the passenger seat to open the door. I smiled softly when I heard Bella's heart begin to beat a wild frenzy inside her ribcage at my close proximity. My hand had just brushed the metal of the handle when I heard unfamiliar voices.

_Why are we driving all the way from La Push just so Billy can say sorry to Charlie? Hasn't either of them heard of a phone?_

The moment I heard 'LaPush' my entire body stiffened. "Not good," I muttered. We weren't sure if the werewolf gene still existed amongst the tribe, but it might be best if we didn't push our relations with them as they were already strained enough.

Bella noticed my suddenly stiff posture. "What is it?"

I glanced up to her worried face and the glint of fear that showed behind her eyes. "Another complication." I answered.

I opened the door for her and the slight smell of the Quileute tribe floated to my nose. Because neither of them were true wolves, they didn't smell terrible but still unpleasant in a wet-dog type way. I cringed away from the smell that hung just outside the door. As if on cue, a car pulled up only meters away from the nose of my Volvo and parked on the curb. When it was closer, I could smell the faint smell of true-werewolf lingering around it. I could see the astonishment in the old man's dark eyes as they caught mine. I refused to look away as the amazement turned to fury.

"Charlie's around the corner," I warned, not taking my eyes off the old man's figure in the passenger seat of the car.

Bella jumped out quickly, somehow managing not to fall and looked to the other car for the source of my glare. As soon as she shut the door, I revved the engine and pulled away with a satisfying squeal of the tires as I peeled away from the house.

I had to get home as fast as possible and warn them that the werewolves of the Quileute tribe had returned.

* * *

_Yes, I am aware that Jacob isn't a werewolf yet and Yes I am aware that Edward doesn't know about him being a werewolf until New Moon. Sam Uley on the other hand IS a werewolf, is he not? Either way, I'm getting to all this later (aka next chapter which will be out sooner than you think. I hope.) Review Review Review!_

_Hayley_


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